Haryana Elections 2019: BJP Goes For Damage Control After Sapna Chaudhary Campaigns For "Rival"

Haryana elections 2019: Singer Sapna Chaudhary joined the BJP in July

Singer Sapna Chaudhary, who joined the BJP in Haryana recently, campaigned for a rival candidate Gopal Kanda for the assembly election, leaving her party red-faced. In a quick firefighting exercise, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari dissuaded her from campaigning for Mr Kanda, the Haryana Lokhit Party candidate from Sirsa, BJP sources said.

The sources said Ms Chaudhary informed party leaders that she was advised by her staff that she can campaign for Mr Kanda as he "was an independent candidate".

A video message of Ms Chaudhary seeking support for Mr Kanda in the Haryana election was shared widely on social media, catching the attention of BJP leaders on Friday. There were also posters of Ms Chaudhary in favour of Mr Kanda, said a senior Delhi BJP leader.

A section of Delhi BJP leaders expressed shock and demanded that Ms Chaudhary be punished for "anti-party activity".

"How can she campaign for a candidate against the official BJP candidate when she herself is a party member?" said a leader.

The BJP has fielded Pradip Ratusaria from Sirsa, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally on Saturday, the last day of campaigning for the election to be held on Monday.

Ms Chaudhary joined the BJP with much fanfare at Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium during the party's nationwide membership campaign in July, in the presence of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and BJP vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP general secretary Ram Lal and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari.

The sources said Ms Chaudhary, who is an artiste and performer, claimed she was advised by her staff that she can campaign for Kanda. "When party leaders asked her about why she decided to campaign for Kanda, she claimed she was advised that she can do so as Kanda was an independent candidate," said a Delhi BJP leader.

However, she was asked by party leaders not to do so and immediately dissociate herself from any type of campaigning for Mr Kanda. She was also scheduled to participate in a roadshow in support of Mr Kanda, he said.