Punjab LS poll: Vijay Sampla breaks silence, says will stay loyal to BJP

Putting to rest speculations of his joining another political outfit, BJP leader Vijay Sampla on Wednesday said that he would remain a loyal soldier of the party despite having received a raw deal from it.

“I have always been loyal to the party but this loyalty has become a liability for me. Had the party reposed faith in me and given me the ticket, it would have silenced my critics who have levelled all sorts of allegations against me,” Sampla said in a media interaction.

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Punjab BJP affairs in-charge and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and state BJP president Sunil Jakhar came to Sampla’s house to convince him to join the party’s election campaign but he did not give them a positive response. Both the leaders left for the party meet at a local hotel without him.

Responding to media queries, Sampla said that he had sought clarification from the party leadership as to what was his fault.

“I was asked to resign from the chairmanship of National Commission for Scheduled Castes and told that I will be given a responsibility in the organisation. I was also promised a ticket for the Lok Sabha. Denial of the ticket has given ammunition to my opponents in the party who are spreading rumours that I have been sidelined because of corruption. I ask my leadership to send me to jail if I am tainted or act against the rumour mongers,” said Sampla.

He alleged that certain leaders were damaging the party from within but no action was being taken against them. “If you cannot act against the detractors, how can you sermonise me?” he said.

He said he would remain loyal to the party but he needed clarification from the leadership.

When contacted, Rupani said that Sampla was a respected leader of the BJP and the question of him doing harm to the party did not arise.