Punjab elections: Shiv Lal Doda opts out in favour of BJP in Abohar

Local SAD leaders had already been extending support to Doda, who was allowed by court to come out of Amritsar jail only to file his nomination papers on January 13.

Shiv Lal Doda (left) files his nomination for Abohar while a supporter clicks his photo. (Express Photo)

Doda (left) filed nomination on January 13. (Express Photo)

In a sudden move, jailed liquor baron Shiv Lal Doda, who had filed nomination from Abohar Assembly constituency as an Independent, has decided to withdraw in favour of BJP candidate Arun Narang, his aides said Friday.

This was announced at a meeting at Doda’s local office by SAD’s Abohar unit president Ashok Ahuja, a close aide of the liquor baron who has been lodged in jail since 2015 in connection with the murder of a Dalit boy, Bheem Tank. BJP candidate Arun Narang, Doda’s brother Avinash Doda, his relatives and aides were among those present at the meeting. Amit Arora, media secretary of state BJP, was also present.

“Shiv Lal Doda has given me power of attorney and told me I could decide on his behalf since he is in jail. So we have decided to withdraw his papers and extend support to the BJP candidate. I will withdraw his nomination papers tomorrow morning on his behalf,” Ahuja said at the meeting.

Arora welcomed the move, saying this would prevent division of votes and ensure the defeat of Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar, who is the sitting MLA from this border constituency in Fazilka district.

“Doda’s sole aim is to defeat Jakhar,” said Sanjay Vashisht, Doda’s personal secretary.

Asked why he was supporting a man jailed for a gruesome murder, Ahuja said, “He is innocent. Jakhar got him framed in this case. The crime happened at his farm house, but he was not behind it. He is fighting his case and we have faith in judiciary to give him justice.”

Local SAD leaders had already been extending support to Doda, who was allowed by court to come out of Amritsar jail, where he is currently lodged, only to file his nomination papers on January 13.

Story continues below this ad

On January 18, Doda had come for a court hearing in Fazilka. According to a complaint given to the to Election Commission by Kaushalaya Devi, mother of the murdered boy, Narang and Ahuja had met Doda in the court complex. The duo, however, said they had met him by chance in the court where they had gone for some other work.

Kaushalaya Devi said the latest development had exposed the BJP’s “anti-Dalit” face.

Abohar has about 1.60 lakh voters, of which nearly 60,000 are from the Arora community to which both Doda and Narang belong. BJP leader Amit Arora is also president of Arorvansh Biradari, Punjab. On Friday, Arora appealed to the entire Arora community of Abohar to vote in support of Narang.

In 2012, Doda had contested as an Independent, but lost to Jakhar by around 5,000 votes after having polled nearly 47,000 votes. BJP candidate Vijay Lakshmi Bhadoo’s security deposit was forfeited.