Feels Estranged In My Own Party: Anil Vij

BJP MLA Anil Vij, in a public rally in Ambala expressed his feeling of being estranged within his own party. This comes when the leader was recently xcluded from the cabinet reshuffle. Without any name he said, “It seems that some individuals have made me a stranger in my own party. However, it’s worth noting that sometimes outsiders can accomplish more than insiders.”

Vij’s absence from the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet and his departure from the Legislature Party meeting midway highlighted the discord within the state party unit. The appointment of State BJP Chief Saini as the new CM, replacing Manohar Lal Khattar just weeks before the Lok Sabha polls, further underscored the reshuffling dynamics. Despite the inclusion of seven new faces among the eight cabinet members, Vij found himself excluded from the new cabinet, contrary to expectations that he might be appointed as one of the deputy chief ministers.

His exclusion was particularly surprising given speculation about his potential elevation within the party ranks. However, visibly disappointed, Vij left the BJP Legislature Party meeting prematurely, where Saini was elected as the new leader, and chose not to attend the subsequent swearing-in ceremony.

Despite being considered a front-runner for the chief ministerial position when the BJP secured a majority in the 90-member Haryana Assembly in 2014, Vij was bypassed in favor of first-time MLA Khattar. The same scenario unfolded in the 2019 polls, where Khattar once again emerged victorious over Vij, who nonetheless held significant portfolios such as home and health.