Internal turmoil in Haryana BJP again as minister Anil Vij takes to X ‘to deal with those running a parallel BJP’

However, this is not the first time Vij has vented his ire openly.

In the run-up to the Haryana Assembly elections in October 2024, Vij had publicly alleged a conspiracy within the BJP to defeat him. His accusations – made through social media posts, press interactions, and repeated public statements – intensified the tensions between factions of the state BJP unit, especially between Vij and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Vij, a seven-term MLA and a prominent face of the BJP in Haryana, then posted photographs and videos on social media, claiming that individuals close to CM Saini had actively supported his rival – Chitra Sarwara – who contested as an Independent candidate from Ambala Cantonment constituency. Despite defeating Sarwara by over 7,000 votes, Vij alleged that party workers aligned with a man named Ashish Tayal, who claims proximity to Saini, and were seen campaigning for Sarwara.

He had then questioned the dual loyalty of such individuals, invoking the rhetorical phrase, “Yeh rishta kya kehlata hai?” (What is this relationship called?), to highlight the alleged double standards in their conduct. Vij had insisted that the campaign against him wasn’t limited to rogue workers but also involved government officials and minor political figures who acted under the influence of powerful internal forces.

“The plot to defeat me was orchestrated from within,” Vij had said after the October 2024 polls.

The BJP formed the government for the third consecutive time in the Vidhan Sabha polls by winning 48 out of 90 seats. “I raised this issue within a week of the election results, but over 100 days have passed and no action has been taken”, Vij had said earlier this year.

Vij had also been claiming that no disciplinary measures – not even routine transfers – were initiated against those accused of ‘betrayal’.

Earlier this year, taking a direct swipe at the Chief Minister, Vij had also accused Saini of being disconnected from the ground realities of governance. “The CM never gets down from his flying chariot,” Vij had said, suggesting that Saini is aloof and unresponsive to grassroots concerns. He argued that if the Chief Minister engaged more directly with the public, he would better understand their grievances.

These remarks, coupled with his criticism against state BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli – who, according to Vij, should resign – had triggered a disciplinary response from the party. Vij was issued a show-cause notice by the state leadership, asking him to explain his repeated public attacks against party leaders, which were deemed contrary to party discipline.

Vij, however, remained defiant. “You can take away portfolios or positions. But no one can snatch my seniority or the trust of my people.”

According to party sources, the repeated public statements by Vij against the party echo broader internal rifts within the Haryana BJP, marked by friction over power-sharing, leadership styles, and factional loyalties.

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