Bachan Singh Arya latest BJP leader to quit party; Haryana Congress' Rajesh Joon to run as independent

'People of the constituency have ignored BJP...I am contesting on the ticket of the public,' Arya told the press after quitting BJP, adding that 'those who have come from outside have never won'.

The Haryana Assembly polls has entered the season of departures. Bachan Singh Arya became the latest BJP leader to quit the party on Saturday, upset over not getting a ticket in the upcoming Haryana polls on October 5. Arya is from Safido in the Jind district of Haryana.

After his exit, news agency ANI quoted Arya, "I have said this earlier too. Today, public told me to leave it (the party), you saw that it was a crowd of 10,000 people...I had joined BJP when they (public) had told me. People were not satisfied with their work, Jind was not suited to their workstyle...People of the constituency have ignored BJP."

Earlier on September 6, Laxman Napa, BJP's MLA from Haryana's Ratia assembly constituency, and Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala had quit the party after being denied tickets too.

When asked about the flurry of departures, miffed over ticket distribution, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said, "We are pacifying them. They are upset. Barala ji (Subhash Barala) will work and also appeal to the people for votes. United, BJP will form the government for the third time."

Meanwhile, in the opposing camp, there was news that Haryana Congress member Rajesh Joon had quit all his party posts. He also announced that he planned to run as an independent candidate. Joon had also been denied a ticket by the Congress high command.