BJP cadre disappointed by role of state and national leaders
Punjab News Express
CHANDIGARH: The BJP cadres in Punjab including the district unit of party feel disappointed by the role of state and national party leaders on key issues effecting the common people and normal life in Punjab.
BJP has taken the principal decicion to contest the 2017 assembly elections in alliance with major partner Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD). The alliance which is ruling in the state for the last nine years is facing strong anti-incumbency. BJP president Amit Shah however in a statement said that BJP is confortable with SAD and BJP will go by the election strategy of SAD. Shah has rejected the reports that AAP has built strong base in Punjab. He said that Punjab was not Delhi. It matters which party has base there".
Contrary to assetions of Amit Shah, the Punjab BJP core committee in its meeting held here yesterday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and particularly deliberated on the consequences of stand off between Damdami Taksal and Sant Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwala, a Sikh preacher. The followers of Taksal headed by Harnam Singh Dhumma had made a mordorous attack on
Dhadhriawala in which one of his aide Sant Bhupinder Singh was killed.
The BJP core committee members were worried about rising robberies, murders, car-jacking and crime against women in Punjab in the cities where BJP has its most of vote bank. The core committee members have decided to take up the issue with the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The BJP also wants to resolve the bloody gang wars in Punjab. However, it is unlikely that state BJP President Vijay Sampla would make an issue of
law and order. The state party leaders may only report their concern to the party high command.
The BJP cadre in Punjab is frustrated with the performance of four BJP ministers in the Badal cabinet and former BJP President Kamal Sharma who failed to take any stand on the issue of law and order, illegal sand mining, drug menace and drug mafia. Amit Shah at the time of his appointment as national president had announced to start a series of rallies in Punjab against the drug abuse but he backed out under pressure from its alliance partner. The state BJP had even failed to oppose the imposition of property tax and hike in stamp duty on urban properties.
A section of Punjab BJP leaders had told the national leadership to contest the 2017 assembly election in Punjab at its own. The idea however failed to convince the party high command. BJP hopes to get benefit of popularity of Prime Minister Narender Modi and anti-incumbency if any is against the SAD. The party high command has also ignored the pleas of four of its cabinet ministers who had complained they were not consulted before taking policy decisions related to their departments. Badal had played down the objections on the plea that cabinet took all decisions with the consent of BJP ministers who were present during meetings.
Punjab Industry minister Madan Mohan Mittal has gone public with his grievances against state government and complained that he was not being consulted in appointment Vice Chancellor of Punjab Technical University. He also found little role in forming industrial policy. Anil Joshi had also expressed similar views and stopped atttending function of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
While at the top level there seems bonehomey between SAD and BJP but at the ground level the BJP and SAD cadre are vertically split. In the recently held assembly by-election of Khadoor Sahib, district unit of Tarn Taran district of which Khadoor Sahib is part, had opposed the Akali Dal candidate. BJP and SAD are holding separate protets and rallies in the state. This might be part of political strategy of the BJP and
SAD but it is expected that workers at grass root level are unlikely to support each other's candidates. Out of 117 assembly seats, BJP would contest on 23 and SAD on 94. In the present house BJP has 19 MLA and SAD 48 MLAs which enjoys absolute majority.
Recently, there was move to replace the four BJP ministers to pin down the anti-incumbency factor but the matter was deferred at eleventh house after Amit Shah intervened and directed state party president to defer the decision. Punjab BJP leaders in private admit that SAD hardly bothers about local interests of BJP leaders since national leader.