Ending the suspense over what they would do, given the judiciary taking a hostile view of their desertions, the nine ten Congress dissident MlAs, including former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, joined the BJP at the party's headquarters in Delhi on Wednesday evening. They took the membership of the saffron party on payment of Rs 5 each by way of membership.
The development, though expected, has deepened wrinkles on the faces of the State BJP leaders and its rank and file. It is apprehended that the induction of the nine Congress leaders would further exacerbate factional bickering within the party ranks in the coming days ahead of the Assembly election 2017.
The State party is already ridden with schism from within with as many as four factions being present in it. The leaders who are leading the factions are three former CMs - Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri and Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank - and Satpal Maharaj. The latter had switched from Congress to BJP right before the 2014 lok Sabha election. Now add the Bahuguna faction with as many as eight MlAs committed to him and the circle of BJP's factional predicament would be complete, said a senior State party leader on condition of anonymity.
"Things are interesting as the ten rebels joined the BJP, throwing their membership of the Assembly away, something over which a litigation wrangle has been going on for some time. Factional disgruntlement was discernible as two of the factional leaders - Gen Khanduri and Dr Nishank -refused to share the dais with the nine leaders despite being present at the BJP headquarters in Delhi during the time of their induction," said an observer.
Talking to The Pioneer on Thursday, Vijay Bahuguna confirmed the development and said that there was no alternative for the Congress brass shielding Harish Rawat despite surging disgruntlement against him within the party.
"The Congress debacle in Assam and Kerala shows the rot deeply embedded in the party. Our joining the BJP would further toughen the already formidable challenge facing Chief Minister Harish Rawat. He has been rolling out strings of developmental promises which are impossible to be fulfilled on the ground. He did the same to the Congress MlAs to keep the flock together during the May 10 floor test. Now, the floor test having been won, he is finding it difficult to meet the promises he doled out to the MlAs," Bahuguna said.
Asked whether their switch was unconditional, the former CM answered in the positive. However, in the same breath, he said things are based on understanding rather than on conditions. He hinted that his youngest son is most likely to contest from Sitarganj Assembly constituency. "However, the party top brass would take the final call," he said.
He also made it clear that along with him, the nine other rebel MlAs - Harak Singh Rawat, Subodh Uniyal, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, Dr Shailendra Mohan Singhal, Umesh Sharma Kau, Pradeep Batra, Dr Shaila Rani Rawat, Amrita Rawat and Rekha Arya - had joined the BJP unconditionally.
Quizzed whether they had switched in a huff with the matter of their disqualification pending before the Supreme Court, Bahuguna said their decision was a premeditated one. "We decided to leave the Congress. We care a damn then about our membership being retained or rejected by court. Besides, we have lost hope in the judiciary giving us justice," he said.