Too many power centres in the BJP are creating problems for the party in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. Ticket aspirants who were rejected by the election management committee headed by senior leader Kalraj Mishra are now building up their case before Rajnath Singh, who was recently made the overall in-charge of the election by the BJP high command. As a result, party’s plan to select its candidates by July has got delayed. Elections are expected early next year for the 402-strong UP Assembly. The BJP has 51 members in the current Assembly.
Other senior leaders involved in the poll related strategies also include Lalji Tandon, Vinay Katiyar, Surya Pratap Shahi and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Uma Bharti, recently re-inducted in the party, has been asked to woo dalit votes in the state.
Sources disclosed election management committee had nearly finalised candidate names for more than 250 Assembly seats. These names were finalised after deliberations with local and district level leaders.
The party leadership had also conducted surveys in each constituency before these names were put before the election management committee for consideration. But now the entire process has halted as ticket seekers who were rejected by the Kalraj Mishra-led committee have started building up their case before the Rajnath camp, sources said. It could be mentioned that Kalraj camp had objected to Mr Singh’s appointment as the overall incharge of the UP election .
The Bharatiya Janata Party top brass had asked its Uttar Pradesh leaders to present a united face of the party in the poll-bound state as dissidence has marred the BJP’s image in the state.
Sources disclosed with too many power centres involved in poll preparations, the BJP has hardly managed to present itself as the next best alternative to BSP, which is currently ruling the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party top brass had been claiming that its chances are better than SP and Congress and have been relying on surveys conducted by party’s in-house teams which have predicted substantial increase in Assembly berths than previous polls.
But the feedback party top brass has been receiving from the state says otherwise.
It could also be mentioned that the BJP, which had once rose to power in Uttar Pradesh on the Ram Mandir issue, has changed its strategy after realising that deteriorating law and order situation and lack of development in the state are the prime concerns of people.