Internal bickering within the BJP between two prominent leaders of western Uttar Pradesh has now come out in the open following the party’s loss in the Lok Sabha polls in Muzaffarnagar.

BJP candidate and former Union Minister Dr Sanjeev Balyan, who faced defeat in the Muzaffarnagar seat in the Lok Sabha elections, made serious allegations against former BJP MLA from Sardhana Sangeet Som during a press conference on Monday.

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Former MLA Sangeet Som responded to the allegations by holding a press conference at his residence in Meerut Cantt on Tuesday. Both leaders accused each other of corruption and blamed one another for the party’s defeat in the polls.

Baliyan lost to SP candidate Harendra Malik in the elections by around 24,000 votes.

Sangeet Som claimed that the BJP won in the Sardhana assembly constituency, which he managed, but Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan lost in the Budhana and Charthawal assembly segments.

Som said that before making allegations, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan should review his defeat and contemplate the factors behind him receiving fewer votes in his area. He said that as a senior BJP worker, Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan should refrain from making such statements.

Replying to the charges that he helped the Samajwadi Party in the polls, the former MLA said that during the SP rule, many cases were registered against him and he was even sent to jail. In such a situation, how could he support the SP? He also suggested that Sanjeev Kumar Balyan should present his views within the party forum rather than airing them in public.

In a press release, the former MLA accused the former Muzaffarnagar MP, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, of corruption and also raised issues regarding the collection of illegal assets.

In the press release, the former MLA also presented 20 points and levelled several allegations.

The former Union Minister of State also accused the former Sardhana MLA, Sangeet Som of working for the SP in the elections.

Sanjeev Baliyan stated that the main reasons for the defeat were the polarisation of Muslim votes, the division of Hindu votes, and a low voter turnout.

On the issue of interference from within the party in the elections, he said that some individuals akin to “Jaichand” and “Vibhishan” mingled among the public, while others appeared to be like “Shikhandi”.

Regarding taking action, he said that this decision rests with the party high command. However, he acknowledged that RLD president Jayant Choudhary provided significant assistance during the elections and exerted considerable effort.

Targeting the victorious SP MP, he criticised those who had contested elections before him, alleging that they changed parties every year. He accused the MP of promoting nepotism, citing that his son is an MLA while he himself holds the position of MP. He contrasted this with their political agenda of prioritising development over dynastic politics for the past decade. He urged the newly elected representatives to focus on the region’s development now that they’ve been given the opportunity by the public.