Even before the Karnataka crisis can die down, the BJP has been hit by another crisis in Uttarakhand. Top Uttarakhand saffron leaders and functionaries are now demanding the immediate removal of chief minister Ramesh Pokhriya Nishank, who is mired in a spate of scandals.
The chief minister is under the scanner for irregularities in land use and transfer policies, among others, in the state. The top party leadership, including former CMs B.S. Khanduri and B.S. Koshiyari, and former BJP chiefs Rajnath Singh and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, were mounting pressure on the party high command to replace Mr Nishank before the 2012 Assembly polls in the state. The present party president, Mr Nitin Gadkari, who wanted him to go, failed to take any action since Mr Nishank was being reportedly backed by senior leaders L.K. Advani and Sushma Swaraj.
It was learnt that top BJP Uttarakhand and Delhi leaders have been mounting pressure on the saffron high command to replace Mr Nishank as he was “becoming a major liability for the party”. It was being argued that the BJP, which has taken a high moral ground on the 2G spectrum scam, was already in an embarrassing position following tainted Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s refusal to step down. “The Nishank issue is now going to be another blow for the party,” a senior party functionary said.
Asked about corruption charges against the Uttarakhand CM, Mr Khanduri said, “I would not like to comment on the matter.” However, on the alleged corruption in transfers of teachers in the state, he said, “I had established a fool-proof system. Even the CMs did not have any hand in the transfers.”
Two major scandals rocking the state include alleged irregularities in 56 hydro-electric projects and changing the land-use of a 15-acre industrial plot worth `400 crores and handing it over to real estate developers for `3 crores at Rishikesh. A PIL on the alleged irregularities has been filed in the Nainital high court. Ms Swaraj had gone on record saying Mr Nishank was “being victimised by a section of people”.
A senior BJP functionary said the party was waiting for the results of the Bihar Assembly elections to assess the situation in Uttarakhand. He maintained that after the results are out on Wednesday, the party would start putting its house in order in both Karnataka and Uttarakhand.