Chandigarh October 27:
The Punjab unit of the BJP, where the party gets 23 Assembly seats out of 117 to contest, is waiting for the central in-charge, after former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha refused to discharge the new responsibility.
Things don’t seem to be going the ‘planned’ way for BJP. As after initiating the “reconciliation efforts” to improve the ties with its ruling coalition partners in the State-SAD, the resignation by senior BJP leader Sinha from the post of State unit in-charge came as a setback for the party workers.
However, thanks to the recent ‘turmoil’ in the State politics that led to expulsion of State’s Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal-first from the Cabinet and then from the SAD, that bring the two closes, but just “a bit”. Just after over a month Sinha was appointed as in-charge of Punjab on July 24, he resigned on September 16 showing his despondency for not being considered for the Jharkhand Chief Minister’s post.
Where Sinha’s appointment had brought to halt the ‘simmering’ differences between top State BJP leaders and between SAD and BJP, his exit from Punjab affairs was a big blow for the party which is trying to rejuvenate its party cadre in the State. More than a month has elapsed and the State unit of the BJP is still without an in-charge. Somehow, the party managed to swim out of troubled waters during recent political upheavals in the State with not much bickering within the party despite emergence of several ideological differences. But how for long the things will carry on this way?
“The issue regarding naming the State unit in-charge is the Central decision; we can not say anything about it. They are obviously considering it and will soon appoint the same,” BJP State unit chief Ashwani Sharma told reporters. Reportedly, the recent ‘turmoil’ has saw fissures within the party. While, Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla was seen siding Manpreet Badal for his stand on the Centre’s ‘proposed’ debt waiver, the leader of BJP legislature party and Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia had quested for maintaining silence on the issue. Even Chawla too shot-off a letter to the Chief Minister Badal requesting him to consider the Centre’s proposal.
“Yes, the past month was a bit tough for all of us but we all managed to maintain the best political standards and let the SAD to handle the matter as it’s more party’s issue than that of the State. Manpreet expelled from the Cabinet after he was suspended from the SAD. We can’t take risks for his philosophical decisions,” said a senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity. With Assembly elections just over a year away, sparring alliance partners were not a good sign for the alliance. Available information suggests that the majority party SAD is in no mood to give more seats to BJP other than the 19 seats it won during last elections. Instead, it is learnt that SAD is planning to reduce the number of seats to BJP.
Despite Sinha’s efforts to steamroller the differences between the ruling alliance partners and belt out “we are a family” slogan just in a months-time, BJP and SAD once again begin to ride roughshod over each other after his resignation. Punjab BJP had been in news not only for tiff with the SAD but also within the party. The year started with senior BJP leader Chawla involved into a ‘blame-game’ with party’s chief parliamentary secretary Jagdish Sawhney following raids conducted at ultrasound centres of latter’s kin. Things reached such a pass that BJP national president Nitin Gadkari had to intervene who reportedly asked the leaders “not to wash their dirty linen in public”.
Also, the State BJP had crossed swords with SAD over the issue of unequal distribution of funds for development. Recently, Manoranjan Kalia alleged that the Akali Dal was priming the pump for uplift of rural areas, their stronghold, and ignoring cities.
The Punjab unit of the BJP, where the party gets 23 Assembly seats out of 117 to contest, is waiting for the central in-charge, after former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha refused to discharge the new responsibility.
Things don’t seem to be going the ‘planned’ way for BJP. As after initiating the “reconciliation efforts” to improve the ties with its ruling coalition partners in the State-SAD, the resignation by senior BJP leader Sinha from the post of State unit in-charge came as a setback for the party workers.
However, thanks to the recent ‘turmoil’ in the State politics that led to expulsion of State’s Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal-first from the Cabinet and then from the SAD, that bring the two closes, but just “a bit”. Just after over a month Sinha was appointed as in-charge of Punjab on July 24, he resigned on September 16 showing his despondency for not being considered for the Jharkhand Chief Minister’s post.
Where Sinha’s appointment had brought to halt the ‘simmering’ differences between top State BJP leaders and between SAD and BJP, his exit from Punjab affairs was a big blow for the party which is trying to rejuvenate its party cadre in the State. More than a month has elapsed and the State unit of the BJP is still without an in-charge. Somehow, the party managed to swim out of troubled waters during recent political upheavals in the State with not much bickering within the party despite emergence of several ideological differences. But how for long the things will carry on this way?
“The issue regarding naming the State unit in-charge is the Central decision; we can not say anything about it. They are obviously considering it and will soon appoint the same,” BJP State unit chief Ashwani Sharma told reporters. Reportedly, the recent ‘turmoil’ has saw fissures within the party. While, Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla was seen siding Manpreet Badal for his stand on the Centre’s ‘proposed’ debt waiver, the leader of BJP legislature party and Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia had quested for maintaining silence on the issue. Even Chawla too shot-off a letter to the Chief Minister Badal requesting him to consider the Centre’s proposal.
“Yes, the past month was a bit tough for all of us but we all managed to maintain the best political standards and let the SAD to handle the matter as it’s more party’s issue than that of the State. Manpreet expelled from the Cabinet after he was suspended from the SAD. We can’t take risks for his philosophical decisions,” said a senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity. With Assembly elections just over a year away, sparring alliance partners were not a good sign for the alliance. Available information suggests that the majority party SAD is in no mood to give more seats to BJP other than the 19 seats it won during last elections. Instead, it is learnt that SAD is planning to reduce the number of seats to BJP.
Despite Sinha’s efforts to steamroller the differences between the ruling alliance partners and belt out “we are a family” slogan just in a months-time, BJP and SAD once again begin to ride roughshod over each other after his resignation. Punjab BJP had been in news not only for tiff with the SAD but also within the party. The year started with senior BJP leader Chawla involved into a ‘blame-game’ with party’s chief parliamentary secretary Jagdish Sawhney following raids conducted at ultrasound centres of latter’s kin. Things reached such a pass that BJP national president Nitin Gadkari had to intervene who reportedly asked the leaders “not to wash their dirty linen in public”.
Also, the State BJP had crossed swords with SAD over the issue of unequal distribution of funds for development. Recently, Manoranjan Kalia alleged that the Akali Dal was priming the pump for uplift of rural areas, their stronghold, and ignoring cities.
