CM’s ‘friends’ may help save others in BJP facing action
The BJP had on November 30 issued show cause notice to nearly 60 party leaders, including a few who are in good books of the CM, asking them to explain why action should not be initiated against them for working against the party and its electoral nominees in the 2017 assembly polls.
The proximity of some senior leaders to chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and his ministerial colleagues is likely to come in good stead for several BJP leaders who stand accused of indiscipline and working against the party during the assembly election earlier this year.
The BJP had on November 30 issued show cause notice to nearly 60 party leaders, including a few who are in good books of the CM, asking them to explain why action should not be initiated against them for working against the party and its electoral nominees in the 2017 assembly polls.
Though the party registered a decisive victory, winning 57 of the total 70 seats, many in the fray had accused the senior leaders of trying to scuttle their chances at the hustings.
It was after this that party state president Ajay Bhatt had handed over a list of the complaints to the disciplinary committee following which the latter issued show-cause notices last month.
The show cause notices, coming nearly eight months after the polls, have already been termed an eyewash by the party insiders who now say most such leaders would be spared by virtue of some of them being in the good books of the CM and his cabinet colleagues. A discussion on action against such leaders has been listed on the agenda for the two –day meeting of the party’s working member committee on December 16 and 17 at Haldwani. Party state in-charge and national vice-president Shyam Jaju and national joint secretary Shiv Prakash are expected to attend the meet.
“Some leaders like Sunil Uniyal Gama is considered close to the CM. Similarly, Umesh Aggarwal is close to the CM and some of the cabinet ministers as well. CM, obviously, wouldn’t want any action against his ‘favourites’,” a senior party leader said.
Both Gama and Aggarwal are front-runners for the mayoral ticket from Dehradun for the impending urban local body polls.
Few names in the list are from Haridwar, a district with which cabinet minister Madan Kaushik shares close bond.
“Slapping notices on leaders eight months after the election is mere eyewash. Considering the pace at which the committee is working, action, if any, would be taken in the next eight month. The organisation is planning on that,” another BJP leader said.
Besides disciplinary action, the working committee would also take up for discussion the issues of cabinet expansion and distribution of ministerial responsibilities. The discussion on had been postponed as both Jaju and Prakash were busy with Gujarat elections. Two cabinet posts are still lying vacant even as several top leaders have thrown their hat in the ring.
“The first meeting of the core group. Cabinet expansion and distribution of ministerial responsibilities are two important issues that leaders are looking forward to, but that too would be an eyewash as the names are all pre-decided,” the party leader said.
HT had earlier reported that a dissent is simmering within the ruling party in the mountain state over senior leaders being overlooked for both the cabinet berths and the ‘minister-rank’ positions in government bodies. Sources in the party said that the party leadership has already zeroed in on 16 names, picked from a list of 28, who are likely to be given posts in the government boards and corporations early next year.
Bhatt, however, has sought to brush aside the allegations that names have been decided for the cabinet posts and for the minister-rank positions. “BJP works on principles and irrespective of what one claims, everything done here is transparent and as per the system,” the BJP state chief claimed.