BSP’s Harmohan Dhawan in BJP

With former Union minister Harmohan Dhawan joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi in the presence of BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, Union minister Pawan Bansal may face a tougher challenge from the BJP now. Certain to bring a huge change in the local political scenario, Bansal might face a difficult election next time. Dhawan, who is a veteran Socialist and follower of former prime minister late Chandrashekhar, has good support base among the downtrodden and poor of the city. The bloc has shown tremendous faith in him despite changing times and his not being associated with national politics.

Though he performed well at the hustings, he did not win the previous parliamentary elections.

Welcoming the move, a senior Congress leader said, “BJP’s strengthening was required as both senior leaders were not giving importance to anyone in the party. Consequences will only be known after MC polls next year, when Congress may be in trouble.”

Whereas former mayor and senior Congress leader Subhash Chawla said, “This is Dhawan’s personal decision, the immediate effect of which will not trouble the party at all. And parliamentary elections are far away, in which the Congress position is very strong at national level, so it won’t hurt party position at all.”