Two rebels in election fray but changed their party

DAINIK NATION BUREAU

Roorkee, which is known for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), has been grabbing media attention because of two dissidents i.e. sitting MLA Pradeep Batra and Ex MLA Suresh Jain in ongoing assembly election. Coincidentally both have been contesting election against each other since 2012 but this time both changed their party as well. This would be lone seat out of 70 seats of Uttarakhand assembly where both parties i.e. congress and BJP have locked horn with each other.

Pradeep Batra, who deserted congress because chief minister Harish Rawat did not pay heed to the demand of Ex CM Vijay Bahuguna so he along with other eight MLAs boycotted the treasury bench amidst opposition demand division of vote on appropriation bill-2016, joined BJP and contesting election on BJP ticket. Similarly BJP leader & Ex MLA Suresh Jain, who had tasted defeat with Pradeep Batra during assembly election-2012, lost ticket race with Batra so he got furious with party high command, who given ticket to 13 dissidents congress leaders including 11 sitting MLAs. Since their joining BJP leaders, who falls in these 10 assembly constituencies were feeling suffocated, but they were optimistic that their candidature would be treated at par with dissidents congress MLAs or new comers into BJP.

When BJP announced their first list having name of 64 candidates on January 16 then these leaders found their name missing in the list and their frustration reached at its peak. Chief Minsiter Harish Rawat, who loves to sail their boat in tide, did not waste this opportune time and lured Ex MLA Suresh Chand Jain into congress by giving him ticket for ongoing assembly election.

Now both leaders have been venoming against their ancestral party i.e. congress and BJP. Being an old guard of BJP and congress they have deep knowledge about positive and negative aspect of their opposition and its party. As we know that after departure into BJP, state government had conducted some deterrent action against the Batra by sealing his property. With this step state government official who tried to show his supremacy by taking action against the Batra’s property but that went into favour of him.

AS we know that since party has given ticket to the dissidents congress MLAs, BJP cadre are running confused because they are saying that since 2012 they consistently abusing the congress leaders and now they are being asked to canvass in favour of the leader who they were abusing or condemning.