Why Did Haryana’s Seven-Time MLA Anil Vij Remove ‘Minister’ from His Social Media Bio?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Anil Vij has removed his ministerial title from social media.
- He has been vocal about internal party disputes.
- Vij has served as an MLA for Ambala Cantonment seven times.
- His past as a banker and ABVP leader shapes his political career.
- Vij's actions reflect ongoing tensions within the BJP in Haryana.
Chandigarh, Sep 18 (NationPress) Haryana’s most senior minister and seven-time legislator, BJP leader Anil Vij, has sparked interest in political circles by eliminating ‘minister’ from his profile on the social media platform ‘X’. Early Thursday, he updated his bio from ‘Anil Vij Minister Haryana, India’ to ‘Anil Vij Ambala Cantt Haryana, India’.
For a while, the Transport Minister, who appears discontented with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini regarding his governance style, has been vocal on social media, criticizing party members for internal conflicts, particularly within his Ambala Cantonment Assembly constituency.
In a recent post, he implied there are individuals in Ambala Cantonment operating a parallel BJP with support from higher authorities, stating, “What should we do? The party is incurring significant damage.” He also sought feedback from the public on how to manage opposition within the party.
Known as the Gabbar Singh of Haryana politics, Vij began his career in banking before venturing into politics as a leader of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He has been elected seven times from Ambala Cantonment and faced defeat only once in 2005, winning his inaugural Assembly election in 1990.
Following his victory in the last Assembly elections held in October 2024, his supporters celebrated with chants of ‘Gabbar is Back’.
Vij, known for his forthrightness, was issued a show-cause notice by the BJP in February for making public remarks against both the Chief Minister and the party’s state president. The notice raised concerns about the potential harm to the party’s reputation during election campaigns.
At that time, the 71-year-old Vij claimed no action was taken against those who allegedly attempted to undermine him in the 2024 Assembly elections for the Ambala Cantonment seat. He expressed suspicion that, with the backing of a significant political figure, efforts were made to defeat him. Furthermore, he voiced frustration about officials ignoring his directives, stating that for the sake of his constituents in Ambala Cantonment, he was ready to undertake a hunger strike similar to that of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.