STATE PWD and Energy Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya once again showed his supremacy in local politics when he was successful in getting ADM Manish Singh and IMC Commissioner P Narhari transferred from Indore. Both these senior officials have reportedly been at loggerheads with Vijayvargiya for some time now.
The transfer of these officials, especially that of Narhari, appeared to be a prestige issue for Vijayvargiya as the IMC Commissioner ever since his assuming office has been taking actions inimical to Vijayvargiya’s interests in the City. In this, he is believed to have had the unflinching support of party national vice-president and Vijayvargiya’s bete noire in local politics Sumitra Mahajan. Besides, Narhari enjoyed the confidence of Vijayvargiya’s friend-turned-foe Mayor Dr Uma Shashi Sharma.
Both Mahajan and Dr Sharma have been wielding their powers in the State capital to retain Narhari in Indore. But, his transfer today proved beyond doubt who is calling the shots in Bhopal.
However, the unceremonious transfer of these officials from Indore today did not come as a surprise to political observers here as it has been on the cards ever since Shivraj Singh Chouhan became Chief Minister in December last year. These officials were able to withstand the pressures of Vijayvargiya so far as his relationship with former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur has not been hunky dory.
In fact, Vijayvargiya had been unsuccessfully putting pressure on former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur to remove Narhari from Indore as he was proving to be a big stumbling block for his supporters in the IMC, especially his hardcore supporters like Chandu Shinde and Munnalal Yadav.
{{/usCountry}}In fact, Vijayvargiya had been unsuccessfully putting pressure on former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur to remove Narhari from Indore as he was proving to be a big stumbling block for his supporters in the IMC, especially his hardcore supporters like Chandu Shinde and Munnalal Yadav.
{{/usCountry}}It was heard in the corridors of the local BJP office that Narhari, hand in glove with Mayor Dr Uma Shashi Sharma, was not allowing the supporters of Vijayvargiya to carry out any developmental activities in their municipal wards. It was also heard that any contractor who was maintaining any relationship with Vijayvargiya was not awarded any contract for development works in the City.
But the rivalry between Narhari and Vijayvargiya took a turn for the worst when party national vice-president and his bete noire in local politics Sumitra Mahajan overtly stepped in to defend Narhari.
The tug of war between ADM Manish Singh and Vijayvargiya dates back to the time when Singh was in similar fashion shunted out of Indore Development Authority (IDA) as CEO, reportedly due to his stern actions against the interests of Vijayvargiya.