Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel’s resignation, citing her reaching 75 years has let a pall of gloom fall on the camp followers of two octogenarian former CMs- Garhwal MP Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri and Udham Singh Nagar MP Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The foot soldiers of the two party veterans vent out their frustration, saying that their respective leaders have no chance to adorn the chair of the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand in case BJP comes back to power in election 2017 in view of the age norm having been laid down by none other than Narendra Modi himself.
The turn of things has, however, enthused those loyal to another former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank as the latter is now veering just on 60s.
Talking to The Pioneer, a senior leader said that State BJP rank and file have been left confused over the development in Gujarat. “We were aware of the norm set by the party’s top brass, making the age bar of 70 for those holding important positions in the Government whether at the Centre or in the States. But the Gujarat CM is the first such person to relinquish office in conformity to the norm envisaged by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The former CMs who are veering in their 80s are very much parts of the election campaigning that would start from the Pardaafash rally to be launched on August 15. We are a confused lot over the question of who would lead the charge against the redoubtable CM Harish Rawat on the hard ground of electioneering. The party’s top brass should clear the mists at the earliest to pump fresh enthusiasm into the party activists who are now in a puzzled state,” he said.
An MlA said that the development in Gujarat had demoralised the party activists and leaders as they were convinced that none other than Gen Khanduri can give tough fight to the CM Harish Rawat. “He has the required charisma, integrity and other leadership mettle needed to take on the formidable Harish Rawat. There is another in the person of Koshyari. He is also out of the race if the party’s top brass insists on the age norm,” he said.
The saffron workers loyal to Gen Khanduri were upbeat after the former convened a high power committee meeting with the railway official to review the progress report on the long-awaited Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway line. They were then of the view that the BJP central leadership was propping him up as the CM face of the party ahead of the election. Notably, Koshyari was extremely pro-active when the state remained embroiled in the grim political crisis between March 18 and May 10, lending credence to the view that it was just a matter of time before he was projected as the CM candidate for the upcoming poll.
Notably, Gen Khanduri has crossed 82 this year while Bhagat Singh Koshyari is also in his 80s. Both the leaders have considerable mass following. For instance, Koshyari having a strong hold in Kumaon region also represents the powerful Thakur community. Gen Khanduri, on the other hand, hails from Garhwal and he represents the equally important Brahmin community.
Things are in a flux for the party which is preparing to throw the gauntlet to the Harish Rawat regime in the upcoming election barely six months away. Things are all the more depressing for the factions loyal to the two former CMs as, with their exit from the race, the stage is set for their principal adversary Ramesh Pokhriyal to reign supreme.
Dr Nishank is in his 60s. He has thus a long innings to play in the State political arena.
However, things might not prove all that smooth for the MP from Haridwar as the party high command is not well-disposed towards him.
The crisis is indeed deep for the State BJP, said the observers. Whenever confronted with the graft charges, CM Rawat singles out Nishank, saying that he is ready for probe into the corruption charges if things start from 2007. The meaning is clear, say the political analysts as a host of graft cases, including what are known as Kumbh scam, citurgia scam and hydropower scam, are tagged to Nishank, one of the State watchers said, adding that the BJP brass gets into the defensive mode as it is embarrassed by the CM parroting these scams involving a former CM.