MP: Vijayvargiy’s comment widens rift with Chouhan

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s Facebook comment on Saturday that the city’s development was crawling at bullock cart’s pace has exposed widening fissures between him and MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s Facebook comment on Saturday that the city’s development was crawling at bullock cart’s pace has exposed widening fissures between him and MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Kailash Vijayvargiya’s (with mike in hand) comment comes two days after BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola wrote a letter to the mayor. (HT file photo by Shankar Mourya)

“Indore residents were promised a Metro train. But this project is moving at bullock cart’s pace because of officials’ vested interests,” he posted on Facebook.

Vijayvargiya’s comments comes two days after his close aide and BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola wrote a letter to mayor Malini Gaud pointing out at dilapidated roads and lack of civic infrastructure development in Indore. Gaud is considered close to Chouhan.

The comment brought to fore old rivalry between him and Gaud’s late husband and former higher education minister Laxman Singh Gaud. Most BJP leaders, including BJP city president Kailash Sharma, played safe saying that an MLA has right to express his feelings.

The Vijayvargiya camp taking potshots at Gaud has two major sides besides the fact that it is hurt that a woman corporator (Saroj Chouhan) of its area was jailed, after a municipal official was slapped two months ago.

One, Mendola wants to step up development activities in his assembly constituency as one and half years are left for assembly elections. Mendola, who won 2013 polls by highest margin in MP, wants to maintain the winning streak. Two, he failed to get ministerial berth in cabinet expansion though Vijayvargiya had backed him.

“Mendola’s criticism about Indore Municipal Corporation’s lack of development initiatives in Indore – known as dream city of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan – is aimed to show his worth and that of VIjayvargiya to CM and BJP bosses,” a BJP functionary said.

Mendola’s letter which points to the city’s crumbling infrastructure also comes at a time when 10-day Ganeshotsav, which witnesses wide-scale public participation, begins from Monday. Obviously, it will gain public goodwill and sympathy.