After a meeting of BJP leaders in Panchkula which was also addressed by CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Dhankar said both types of opinions were coming from different district units as some wanted that the zila parishad election should be contested on party symbol while others were not in favour of this idea (Twitter/@mlkhattar)With the State Election Commission gearing up to announce the date for panchayat polls on Friday, Haryana BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar said Thursday that district units would take a call on whether to contest the zila parishad polls on party symbol or not.
Sources say elections to panchayati raj institutions will be held by November 30, keeping in view a proposal sent by the Haryana government. Earlier, the State Election Commission had expressed its inability to hold polls before September 30 this year stating that the state government has not supplied requisite information. It is believed that the state government was keen to implement quota for Backward Classes-A before holding the panchayat polls.
After a meeting of BJP leaders in Panchkula Thursday which was also addressed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Dhankar said both types of opinions were coming from different district units as some wanted that the zila parishad election should be contested on party symbol while others were not in favour of this idea. Dhankar said: “Now this decision has been left to the district units whether they wish to contest the election on party symbol or not.”
The BJP has made it clear that it won’t contest the panchayat election on party symbol.
Talking about the party candidate for Adampur bypoll, Dhankar said the election committee has left the decision to him and Khattar to send recommendations for the candidate to the central leadership. On the occasion of completion of eight years of Khattar-led government in Haryana and birth anniversary of BJP leader late Dr Mangal Sain, functions will be held at every booth on October 27. The party will also hold a state-level rally in the third week of November.
Senior leaders of Congress, which has already decided not to contest the panchayat polls on party symbol, will also meet in Chandigarh Friday to discuss the party strategy for the polls. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said in the meeting the party would give responsibilities to the party workers for Adampur bypoll too. Hooda said: “The panchayat polls should have taken place two years ago. By not holding the panchayat polls for two years, the government has derailed the development work in villages.”
Hooda said: “The Congress is fully prepared for the Adampur by-election. The Congress has been getting a lot of support from the masses since the announcement of Adampur by-election. It is clear from this that the victory of Congress in the election is certain, because farmers, labourers, employees, traders, youth, students and elders are troubled by the policies and functioning of the present government.”