Uneasy calm in BJP camp as infighting continues

PHAGWARA: Equations don't appear to be improving between Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla and Phagwara MLA Som Parkash, who not just got party ticket despite former's strong opposition to him but also won the election even as a section of local BJP leaders worked against him.
As Sampla visited Phgawara on Sunday for the first time after assembly poll results and apart from attending a public function also held a meeting with local industrialists, Parkash stayed away from his programmes.
Phagwara is part of Hoshiarpur parliamentary constituency, represented by Sampla and happens to be the only seat in Doaba region which BJP has won.
Interestingly when Som Parkash stayed away from Sampla's functions former Congress minister Joginder Singh Mann, who was Congress candidate this ti me, met Sampla at the residence of a local industrialist to submit a memorandum for resumption of work on National Highway project in the city, which is hanging fire for the last several months as a section of locals including BJP leaders owing allegiance to Sampla wanted a change in the design. Originally National Highway Authority of India had designed Under Passes in the city but Congress and a section of BJP leaders had demanded that elevated road be made. They had even pro tested and work was abandoned several months back as NHAI started work on redesigning the portion passing through the city.
Sampla attended a function at local Railway Station under Swacch Bharat programme and then held a meeting with industrialists where prominent industrialists of the town were present and raised their issues with him. Mann and a few other Congress leaders also met Sampla at the same meet. No leader owing allegiance to Som Parkash attended Sampla's programmes here. However a local BJP leader said that local BJP MLA was informed. Som Parkash could not be available for comments.
Notably after the polling a local leader of BJP leader had even complained about anti-party activities by a section of local party leaders to party president Amit Shah. Sampla wanted ticket for former SAD MLA Mohan Lal whose father Swarna Ram had earlier remained BJP MLA from the seat.