Hectic efforts are on in the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to grab the post of State party chief after the declaration of November 20 as deadline to elect the new State president. The current incumbent, Kamal Sharma, is facing opposition from both outside and inside the party after the alleged involvement of his close aides in the drug-related matters. Adding more to his troubles, his detractors within the party have started making arduous efforts to oust him from the top post.
The saffron party, like other opposition parties in the State including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has also been marred by factionalism, though it was not out in open like others.
BJP too is divided in two power centres, one represented by the state BJP chief Kamal Sharma, Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi and former Minister Tikshan Sud, and another by party’s national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna, Union Minister Vijay Sampla, and former Minister Manoranjan Kalia.
It has been learnt that much before Sharma’s aides were arrested and named in the drug cases, his detractors within the party were in touch with the central leadership to affect the change in guard in the state.
Sharma’s critics are of the view that he had failed to take up party’s issues and its stand effectively with the ally, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), on various issues, forcing the party to face embarrassment among its voters. He was “unanimously” elected state BJP chief in January 2013.
On the other hand, Sharma’s supporters attributed party’s increasing share of votes and seats in 2014 parliamentary polls, expansion of party’s base in the state among youth, rural areas, and dalits, coupled with successful membership drive to his name.
Available information suggests that with Khanna and Sampla being close to the party’s national leadership, Sharma’s ouster is evident, especially after the name of his close aides, including his personal assistant, emerged in drug related matters.
Punjab police, on August 5, had booked four of Sharma’s associates for allegedly accepting bribe in cases related to drug smuggling, counterfeit currency and fake arms licences.
Among those booked include Sharma’s former PA Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Ferozepur BJP district president Jugraj Singh Katora, the party’s circle president (rural) Gurcharan Singh and lakhwinder Singh lakha.
Sources informed The Pioneer that the party high command has made up its mind to replace Sharma, and may reportedly bring in a “RSS man” as his replacement. As of now, no names of the leaders who want to head the State party unit have come forward.