Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Former Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij, who was recently excluded from the cabinet after a reshuffle, said that some people have made him a 'stranger' in his party. He made this remark while addressing a gathering before the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from the Ambala parliamentary seat Banto Kataria filed her nomination papers.
Recently, the six-time Ambala Cantt MLA had reportedly expressed discontent with the BJP for excluding him from decision-making processes, particularly during the party's replacement of Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister in March, opting instead for Nayab Singh Saini.
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Addressing a public rally in Ambala, the BJP leader, without taking any name, said, "Mana kuch logo ne mujhe meri party mein he begana bana diya hai, parantu kayee baar begane apno say bhi zyada kaam kar jaate hai, (It may be true that some people have made me a stranger in my party, but sometimes strangers do more work than own people)."
Vij urged the people to support BJP candidate Banto Kataria in the election, emphasising that if they acknowledge his efforts in developing Ambala Cantonment, they should ensure Kataria's resounding victory. Banto Kataria is wife of former Union Minister Rattan Lal Kataria, who was the Ambala MP and passed away last year.
Anil Vija was dropped from Haryana Cabinet
Vij was dropped from the Haryana cabinet after Nayab Singh Saini was chosen as the leader and the new Chief Minister.
As many as eight Cabinet members, including the CM, were new faces. Seven out of eight ministers, who were inducted on March 19, are two-term MLAs. However, the former state home minister could not find a place for himself in the new cabinet.
Vij had been discontented with the party's decision-making process, especially regarding the appointment of Saini as chief minister, which he reportedly felt left out of. He had harboured hopes for the top post after Manohar Lal Khattar's removal and reacted with disappointment when Saini was chosen for elevation. This was particularly significant because the six-time MLA was considered one of the frontrunners for the Chief Minister post after the BJP's victory in the state. However, the party ultimately selected Khattar, a first-time MLA, for the position.
Despite this, in the Khattar government, Vij had established a reputation as a tough and result-oriented minister, gaining popularity.
(With agencies input)
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