BJP vice-presidents Prabhat Jha and Uma Bharti would have no role in Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming lok Sabha elections. This was made clear in the list different States’ charge given to party leaders.
Jha has been made in-charge of Delhi, while Uma Bharti would look after the party affairs in Uttarakhand.
Notably, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who created a history in Madhya Pradesh by forming Government for consecutive third term in the State, was not willing for providing better roles to these leaders in Madhya Pradesh.
After the performance of Chouhan in the recently held Assembly elections, the central leadership was of the view that the Chief Minister should be given a free hand like Assembly elections, so that he could bring good results in the forthcoming lok Sabha elections.
There are 29 lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh and under its campaign of ‘272 plus’ the BJP wants maximum seats in its favour in the State. Before 2009, the BJP was in possession of 25 seats, but after General Elections in 2009, the BJP shrunk to 16 seats only.
Time and again there had been news that the Chief Minister was against both Jha and Bharti. Even at the time of Bharti’s entry to the BJP, Chouhan was willing to activate Bharti outside Madhya Pradesh. Similar was the situation when Prabhat Jha was sacked from the post of State BJP president.
Political observers feel that giving charge of Delhi and Uttarakhand to Jha and Bharti clearly indicates that this is strategical shifting of these leaders out of Madhya Pradesh.
Both Jha and Bharti are passing through testing times. After returning to the BJP, Bharti was given responsibility of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, but the party failed to do any miracle in her leadership. Jha was also removed as the State president of MP just before the Assembly election. Since then, both the leaders were awaiting new chance to prove their mettle.
Now the high command has provided the much-awaited second chance to both of them. The chance is not less than a litmus test for both the national vice-presidents of the BJP. Both Uttarakhand and Delhi does not have the BJP Government and if party registers impressive show in the General Elections in these States than its credit would certainly go to them and their stature would go up.