With thirteen out of 14 dissident Congress leaders, now in Bharatiya Janata Party, being favoured with nominations at the expense of the party’s old horses, the disgruntled BJP leaders are thinking in terms of getting into the contest as independents to spite the prospects of the official candidates. Party’s state brass is a little worried as they think that the dissidents if they contest independently would at least reduce the victory margins of the party candidates by eating into their votes even if they fail to deprive them of victories.
Observers say that desperate to register a resounding triumph in Uttarakhand when the prospects in other four States, now going to the polls, including the crucial Uttar Pradesh, are uncertain, the party strategists are bent on wrecking the rival Congress from within by triggering more desertion spree after the high-profile leader Yaspal Arya, a former Cabinet Minister and the recognised Dalit face of the party, joined the BJP camp along with his son. “More seems to be in store as some other leaders are being persuaded to switch sides. The BJP brass is determined to weaken Congress even at the risk of sending many to sulk,” said an observer.
It is learnt from the BJP sources that three more Congress leaders are in the line for a switch-over. However, on the other hand, such developments happening in the poll-bound state are triggering frustration in the party. Many are in a sulk mode as their frantic efforts to win tickets have come a cropper with the party deciding to favour the former dissident Congress leaders with the tickets. Some of them are considering to stand as independent candidates to mar the prospects of the official BJP candidates.
In case all the former rebel Congress leaders who have been given tickets are finally elected, the former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna who also switched to BJP from Congress could be in a position to call the shots in BJP. Besides, if BJP secures majority the former rebels all loyal to Bahuguna could have a decisive say in the composition of the next government, a possibility that is not palatable to an orthodox party like BJP.
Sources privy to the party’s top brass said that they are trying their best to ensure as many seats for the party as possible to reduce the new inductees to a minuscule group, not in a position to dictate terms, a euphemism for alleged blackmail.
Meanwhile, anger is reportedly brewing in the BJP camp after most of the former dissidents were given tickets. Talking to media persons, the former MlA Omgopal Rawat who lost to the Congress candidate Subodh Uniyal during the 2012 election by a narrow margin from Narendranagar constituency said on Tuesday a day after Uniyal was given the BJP ticket that BJP has been reduced to a veritable B team of the Congress, robbed of its distinct ideological identity.
Things are the same for the prestigious Rajpur Road constituency from where Khazan Das would contest as the party candidate. Though he is a party old timer anger is brewing against him as he hails from Dhanaulti. A large section of the rank and file is unhappy with ‘an outsider’ being foisted on them. “He would seek votes here. However, ironically, he has no vote here to cast,” said a dissenter.