Former BJP MlA Bhimlal Arya, who had voted for the Harish Rawat Government during the crucial trust vote on May 10 and had been disqualified by the Speaker under anti- defection law later, is in the news again as he staged a sit-in outside Secretariat on Thursday, alleging that the education secretary is yet to upgrade Gawali primary school to high school. He further alleged that building of Naulbasar inter college is yet to be constructed despite him having written to the Government on the matters.
Earlier, he had staged a sit-in outside the Bijapur guest house, the CM’s official residence, on August 20, demanding the constituency he represented be provided with an OBC status.
BJP is gloating over the predicament of its former MlA who was suspended on the charge of hobnobbing with the Chief Minister. They say that Arya is now paying the price for deserting the saffron camp, being enmeshed in the trap laid down for him by the wily CM to weaken the principal Opposition party in the state. “Arya has been facing the music for switching loyalty for a handful of silvers. He should have raised the issue from inside the Assembly as a member of the BJP legislature party. He has been served right,” said a BJP leader.
One may recall that Arya chose to stay away from the House on March 18-the day the budget was to be discussed-despite BJP issuing a whip. Subsequently, BJP lodged a complaint against him before the Speaker, urging him to take action under anti- defection law. The Speaker, however, turned down their petition after Bhimalal said that he was unaware of the party having issued any whip.
later, things climaxed as the embattled Harish Rawat Government faced a floor test. BJP leadership tried its best to humour him to stay put in the saffron camp. But its efforts failing to nudge him, the party’s chief whip Madan Kaushik pasted the party whip at his residence in the MlA hostel amidst the presence of the media on May 8, two days ahead of the floor test. He again hogged the limelight as he voted for the Harish Rawat Government, flouting the party whip.
Happy with Bhimlal acting on the dotted lines, CM favoured him with the post of the chairman of Uttarkhand State Infrastructure Development Corporation (USIDC).
Political analysts say that Arya is frustrated in his realization that he is most unlikely to be given the Congress ticket for the Assembly election a few months away.
Now, eyes are trained on the quirky MlA about what would be his next move and what the CM on his part would do to placate him into submission.