BJP dismisses reports about Sunil Jakhar quitting as its Punjab unit chief
Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sarin dismissed the reports as "totally baseless and false" and stated that Jakhar was leading the party's state unit
The BJP insisted on Friday (September 27) that Sunil Jakhar, son of former Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar, continued to lead it in Punjab amid speculation that he quit the post.
Although the 70-year-old Jakhar did not respond to calls from journalists, his aide Sanjeev Trikha told PTI that the reported development was not true.
Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sarin dismissed the reports as “totally baseless and false”. He said Jakhar was leading the party's state unit.
Asked why Jakhar stayed away from Thursday's meeting on the party's membership drive, Sarin said it was not important for the state unit chief to be present at every meeting.
Earlier, a section of media on Friday reported that Jakhar had resigned as the Punjab unit BJP chief. Interestingly, these reports have come just ahead of panchayat elections in Punjab. Referring to the reports, Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring took a jibe and said on X: “Mr @sunilkjakhar, All the best, where next?”
Not much active since LS polls
Following the Lok Sabha elections, Jakhar had noticeably curtailed his involvement in state politics. His last public appearance was on September 3 at a BJP state meeting in Chandigarh, which marked the start of the party’s membership drive.
Already there were reports that discontent was brewing within the state unite of BJP, as long-standing members were reportedly unhappy about the influx of former Congress leaders into the party and their subsequent appointments to key roles.
Jakhar was appointed the Punjab BJP chief in July 2023, succeeding BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma. He had joined the BJP in May 2022, three months after the Congress was routed in the Punjab Assembly polls.
A former Congressman, Jakhar served as MLA thrice from the Abohar constituency and as the Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur.
Jakhar also served as the Punjab Congress chief and as the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly from 2012 to 2016.
(With agency inputs)