Gadkari to balance ‘power centres’ in Delhi BJP

After forming two separate panels to oversee the coming assembly elections, the BJP’s incharge of Delhi — Nitin Gadkari — will also play a balancing act by retaining the power to ratify all poll-related decisions.

After forming two separate panels to oversee the coming assembly elections, the BJP’s incharge of Delhi — Nitin Gadkari — will also play a balancing act by retaining the power to ratify all poll-related decisions.

Gadkari, a former national president, announced the formation of an election committee and a core group to stop infighting among party leaders who were not happy with the working style of Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel.

He ensured that all party veterans in Delhi found a place in either of the two groups.

However, Gadkari would take the final call on the distribution of party tickets and the campaign in order to play a balancing act between the two bodies.

Gadkari had emphasised putting up a united face ahead of the polls.

But the infighting continued with two party leaders resigning from their posts and several seniors complaining against Goel.

“We have to ensure that factionalism does not hurt our chances in the assembly polls. Now that we are not going into the polls with a chief ministerial candidate, Nitin Gadkari will oversee the party affairs. All the senior BJP leaders have also endorsed this view to end the infighting,” said a senior BJP leader.

Sources further said Gadkari would convene a meeting on Tuesday to decide the future course of action and all BJP workers had been asked to work together.

“By forming two committees, Gadkari has taken a middle path. He wants everyone to concentrate on poll preparations. A meeting has been called tomorrow for this purpose,” said a source.

Sources said that even though two committees had been formed, an informal core group comprising 12 senior BJP leaders will actually run the party under Gadkari’s guidance.

“VK Malhotra, Harshvardhan, Arti Mehra, Vijay Sharma, Vijender Gupta, Jagdish Mukhi are all part of this informal group. However, Gadkari will take a final call on every matter. This group has all of our senior leaders and they will guide us in the assembly elections,” said a source.