The BJP MlAs who have returned to Dehradun on Monday after spending around 10 tense days away from the State since March 18 — the day when the high drama that consummated in the ouster of the Harish Rawat Government started — have received heroes’ welcome on Monday.
The saffron leaders arranged a felicitation programme for them at party office where their role was glorified as something that climaxed in the dethronement of the tyrant Harish Rawat. However, the observers say that the MlAs were showered with the warm welcome for a reason other than helping the State rid of the tyrannical rule of Harish Rawat. “This is because the BJP MlAs had remained immune to the lure of money and office that the crafty former CM might have dangled to them. They have remained loyal to the party despite being prodded to switch to Congress in lieu of silvers,” one of the observers say.
However, State BJP president Ajay Bhatt said the congregation was meant to facilitate the MlAs to play Holi as they were deprived of the delight of the festival of colour being ensconced in far-away places due to the compulsion of the situation. “This was Holi Milan programme and nobody should read more into it,” he said.
Interestingly, the two former CMs - Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank- were present during the colorful felicitation. All the 27 MlAs of the party, excluding the suspended MlA Bhimlal Arya, were present too.
Most of the speakers, including Koshyari, Dr Nishank, former State BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal and also Trivendra Singh Rawat spitted venom against Harish Rawat, dubbing him as the fountain head of corruption. They did not forget to sting him, citing the sting operation that is said to have speeded things up, leading to the President’s Rule. The sting video purportedly showed the former CM offering hefty sums to a broker supposedly representing the dissident leader Harak Singh Rawat.
Now mulling to form the government if the opportunity comes its way, BJP leaders asked the workers to close ranks in view of the challenge looming ahead. The leaders sought to convince the rank and file of the innocence of the party’s national top brass in the ouster of the Harish Rawat government. The government toppled under its own weight of inner contradictions, they sought to thus explain things away.