BJP divided over Khattar’s invite to Selja to join party

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is attempting to woo Dalit voters in poll-bound Haryana, finds itself divided over Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s statement welcoming Congress lawmaker and Dalit leader Kumari Selja to the party fold, said people aware of the details on Tuesday.

Following reports of Selja being miffed with her party over ticket distribution for the October 5 elections, Khattar took a swipe at the Congress and invited the senior Dalit leader to join the BJP.

Selja however, rebuffed Khattar and took potshots at the BJP. Scheduled Castes are about 20% of the state’s population and a shift in the community was one of the main reasons for the Congress’s unexpectedly strong performance in the general elections.

“After Selja’s response to Khattar, there is a certain unease in the party over the comment made by the former CM. A section of leaders in the state is of the view that the statement should not have been made by the former CM as it has elicited a sharp response from Selja and embarrassed the party. Senior leadership has instructed the state leaders to be mindful of their statements and keep the focus on the party’s narrative,” said a senior party leader aware of the details.

At a rally in Gharaunda on Sunday, Khattar referred to the “infighting” in the Congress and lack of “clarity about their CM face”. He then referred to Selja as a “Dalit sister” and said the “BJP was ready with an offer” and would induct her.

On Monday, Selja shot back and said she was a committee Congress worker and dismissed speculation about discontent within the party. “There are always internal discussions that aren’t meant for public disclosure. The party is moving forward, and these are routine matters in decision-making,” she told a news channel.

The leader cited above said the BJP wanted the election narrative to focus on “development, jobs, and the irregularities that were commonplace during the Congress rule.”

The reports about Selja being upset came about after she was conspicuous by her absence at the Congress manifesto release and was largely missing from the party’s campaign.

“The BJP has been trying to woo the Dalit community and has given tickets to 17 candidates. After reports of Selja being upset over her candidates not getting tickets surfaced, the BJP was hoping that the community that rallies behind her may want to distance itself from the Congress... unlike other states, supporters in Haryana rally behind leaders not party or ideology,” said the person quoted above.

The leader also said the party has urged leaders to tread carefully and not make statements that have the potential to upset the caste equations. “In the past 10 years the BJP has not been able to cultivate communities such as the Jats who have political heft. There is also the anti-incumbency factor against the former CM, during whose tenure the Jat agitation for reservation took place,” the leader said.

The BJP is hoping to win a third straight term in the polls while the Congress is hoping for a rare victory after being out of power in the state since 2014. Both parties won five Lok Sabha seats each in the general elections, marking the first time in a decade that the BJP didn’t sweep the state.