Former Cabinet minister Ram Bilas Sharma, who is credited with establishing the BJP in Haryana and is now being called the state unit's "vat-vriksha", says he holds no grudges against anybody for being denied a ticket for the assembly polls and will continue to serve the party.
The 74-year-old, former state BJP president, is a five-time MLA from Mahendragarh and has served as a state minister three times. He had filed his nomination for the election, but his name was missing from the BJP's candidate list.
But the party convinced him to back out in support of official candidate Kanvar Singh.
"I have given more than five decades to the party. Vajpayee ji (former prime minister) used to tell me that I have to stick to Haryana and establish the party's base in the state and I continue to do so," Sharma said.
"Many of my fellow politicians have switched sides but I stayed and will continue to do so. The party might have some reasons to deny me a ticket but I have no grudges," he said.
Even though Sharma now vows loyalty and gratitude, that he was hurt on being denied a ticket became clear when he got emotional in front of his supporters recently as they appealed to him to contest as an Independent.
A video of him unable to hold back his tears went viral earlier this month.
"It was obvious to get emotional. I have always had their support but I told them that when I die, I want to go with the BJP flag only,” he said.
“There were enough chances to switch sides over the years, but if I didn't make a move then, I would prefer to sit back now," he added.
Sharma is confident the party will form a government in the state for a third time.
"I am campaigning too in support of my fellow leaders and candidates. It is clear that the party will form a government," Sharma said, refuting reports of anti-incumbency in the state.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had visited Sharma at his residence to "clear the air" and urge him to join the party campaign, where he is often referred to as the Haryana the BJP's "vat-vriksha", a towering personality.
Sharma was seen as a probable candidate for the chief minister's post in 2014 when the party won a majority in the state assembly the first time and he was state BJP chief.
However, Manohar Lal Khattar was picked as the chief minister and Sharma joined the cabinet as the education minister.
Sharma, who has won five times from the Mahendragarh constituency, had lost the 2019 polls to the Congress' Rao Dan Singh by a margin of 9,000 votes. Singh is in the fray in this election too.
Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, who switched to the BJP from the Congress in 2014, rallied behind Sharma saying it was wrong of the party to "humiliate" a veteran like him.
"It is the party's decision who to field and not. But it is not fair to humiliate a veteran like him by holding the announcement till the last hour. He could have been politely conveyed beforehand about the decision and could have been promised another role," Singh said, addressing supporters at Sharma's residence.
"When I was in the Congress decade back, he was seen as the lone warrior of the BJP in those days. We are hurt about him not getting a ticket," he added.
Inderjit Singh's daughter is contesting her debut election from the Ateli constituency.
The BJP has announced Nayab Saini as their CM face. However, both Singh and senior leader Anil Vij have said they will stake claim for the top post if the party forms government in Haryana.
Assembly polls in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the results declared on October 8.
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