With BJP president Nitin Gadkari holidaying in Europe with his family and meeting people related to his business, crisis for the BJP continues to deepen. The party leaders have no clue on how to deal with the Jharkhand issue. Mr Gadkari, sources disclosed, has no plan to cut short his visit since he wants to relax with his family.
On Friday, growing resentment among the BJP top brass over the issue came to the fore, when senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi termed the political crisis in Jharkhand “theatre of the absurd.” His comments came at a time when the BJP is struggling to come up with a workable formula to form a government in Jharkhand. “The situation in the state has become a theatre of the absurd. I would not like to say anything more on this,” Dr Joshi commented on the issue.
Sources said though Mr Gadkari is keen on government formation in the state, several senior leaders, including Mr L.K. Advani and Ms Sushma Swaraj, are in favour of withdrawing support from the JMM-led government.
Sources said if Mr Soren refuse to resign on May 25 (the date agreed between JMM and BJP to form a BJP-led government in the state), the BJP would convene its parliamentary board to rethink on its earlier decision to remain part of the coalition government in the state.
When asked why the BJP was negotiating with the JMM despite Mr Soren’s volte face, senior party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said his party was doing so to honour the people’s mandate. “Our priority is to bring stability and development in Jharkhand. We honour the mandate of given by the people of Jharkhand,” he said.
Meanwhile, a defiant Jharkhand chief minister and JMM chief Shibu Soren had refused to resign, backtracking on his own announcement on May 18 that the BJP and the JMM will share power for 28 months each. “I have formed the government for five years, and shall complete the tenure. Who will remove me?” Mr Soren said on Friday in Bokaro.
Earlier this week, both the BJP and the JMM held a joint press conference in Ranchi where it was announced that both had agreed to rotation of power in the state and the BJP’s chief minister will take oath on May 25.
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UP BJP chief vows mandir
Ayodhya, May 21: Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh BJP president Surya Pratap Shahi on Friday visited the disputed site here and vowed to construct a Ram temple there, saying it was something related to the faith of crores of Hindus.
“The BJP is committed to the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya as it is a matter of faith and belief of crores of Hindus and not a political agenda of the party,” he said. —PTI