AS THE factional feud between Mayor Dr Uma Shashi Sharma and City BJP president Ramesh Mendola reaches crescendo, the Mendola camp in the party is likely to use the Gudi Padwa incident (in which the Mayor is being held responsible for organising a vulgar dance programme on the festival day) to rein in the activities of the former.
According to party sources, a well thought out trap is being laid in the party to entangle the Mayor by constituting a permanent ‘monitoring committee’ to monitor the day-to-day activities of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC). “Two or three senior party local leaders will be made the members of the committee, which will permanently oversee the activities of the IMC and report to the party City president and organising secretary,” party sources said.
Besides, amid growing chorus of anger against Mayor on the Gudi Padwa issue, the party City unit is also likely to constitute another committee. It will go into the lapses of the traditional Gudi Padwa programme organised by the IMC at Gandhi Hall in which a vulgar dance programme was performed by Preeti Bhalla and her troupe.
The committee will fix responsibility for the incident. The party’s core committee, comprising MP Sumitra Mahajan and MLAs, is meeting here on April 5 to take a final decision on these matters, party sources said.
{{/usCountry}}The committee will fix responsibility for the incident. The party’s core committee, comprising MP Sumitra Mahajan and MLAs, is meeting here on April 5 to take a final decision on these matters, party sources said.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, there is anger and resentment in the party over a section of the party leaders’ role in the entire issue in which they are trying to make a mountain out of a mole. “The issue should have been over then and there the moment the Mayor expressed her regret over the incident,” said BJP Mahila Morcha State president Anju Makhija.
“Of course, a Bhajan Sandhya should have been the ideal programme on Gudi Padwa day. But, since the Mayor has expressed regret, the issue should not have been over- stretched,” Makhija said.
There is a strong wind blowing in the party that Mendola camp is using the otherwise small incident to settle political scores with the Mayor. The rivalry between the Mayor and the Mendola camp is nothing new in the party. It actually started with the formation of MiC (mayor-in-council), when Mendola could not make it to the body due to the stiff opposition from another section of the party.
The resignation of IMC chairman Shankar Lalwani also did not go down well with the party cadres as well. They see it as a drama to further alienate the Mayor in the party. “If Lalwani was serious he should have sent his resignation to the Mayor or party State president Dr Satyanarain Jatia who was present in the City on that day,” a local leader said. “Instead he chose to send his resignation to party City president which means he is doing all these things at somebody’s behest,” a local BJP leader said.