Gadkari isolated over J’khand mess

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The BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, who returns after a fortnight-long vacation-cum-business trip in Europe, is being held responsible for the Jharkhand mess. All those supporting Mr Gadkari, including senior leader Mr Ananth Kumar and Mr Rajnath Singh have washed their hands off.

The BJP parliamentary party leader L.K. Advani is also reportedly miffed with the BJP chief for the way he has been handling organisational issues.
Mr Gadkari on the other hand is reportedly banking on the RSS to come to his rescue as strong resentment brews against him in the organisation.
A majority section in the party is of the view that Mr Gadkari defied advise of senior leaders including Mr Advani and Ms Sushma Swaraj on the Jharkhand issue.
Both had suggested Mr Gadkari to snap ties with the JMM immediately when JMM chief and Jharkhand chief minister Mr Shibu Soren voted against BJP’s cut motion in Parliament.
Party sources disclosed even those leaders, who were earlier supporting Mr Gadkari’s stand of continuing with the coalition government in Jharkhand, have distanced themselves from the issue thus, completely isolating Mr Gadkari.
“If such seasoned leaders of national-level politics are advising, then you have to give some merit to what they are saying. Look what happened in Jharkhand now, we had to finally withdraw support. You kept giving them (JMM) time despite they showing no signs of giving up the chief minister’s post. In the end you did (withdrawing support from JMM led government) what you should have done right in the beginning,” said a senior party functionary.
Though there was resentment against party chief to hold back parliamentary board’s earlier decision of withdrawing support from JMM-led government, it has only aggravated after BJP had to finally pull the plug from Shibu Soren government.
Sources said BJP parliamentary board would be meeting soon, where Mr Gadkari is expected to receive flak from party leaders over Jharkhand issue.
Though BJP has withdrawn support from JMM-led government, sources said majority leaders of both parties are not averse to join hands again. Mr Soren’s son Hemant is holding back channel discussions with senior BJP leaders including Mr Arjun Munda, sources disclosed.
A section within the party is also angry with Mr Gadkari’s recent “dog” remark targeted at SP and RJD chiefs. These leaders are of the view that this episode not only left the entire party embarrassed but also left a dent on its image.