In an intriguing development, Udham Singh Nagar MP and former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari gave the core committee meeting of the State BJP held in Haldwani on Saturday a miss. The meeting was convened to firm up the party's electoral strategy for the upcoming Assembly election.
According to observers, the State party stalwart remaining conspicuous by his absence from the crucial meeting reveals that the factional squabbling has not subsided despite the party's top brass having resolved to rid the State unit of the party of the long-continuing problem of factional schism.
However, when approached by The Pioneer, Koshyari said he failed to turn up at the meeting as he was busy meeting party workers in his village.
"It is wrong to interpret things that I am annoyed with the party. Rather, there might be people who are annoyed with me. I think that to ensure that the party wins the upcoming election, the leaders should spend time in deepening their connect with the people who finally matter in the electoral calculations. This is no less important than attending meetings. Besides, a few months left for the election, the party machinery must be adequately galvanised. The party rank and file who are instrumental in achieving things must be motivated in the right spirit too," the former Chief Minister said.
Reiterating his resolve to rid the State of the corrupt Harish Rawat Government, the State BJP stalwart said that the immediate task left to the party is to mobilise the people to end the most corrupt rule the State has seen since it came into being in 2000. "In case the people fail to rise to the occasion this election it would be another five years before an opportunity comes their way to dethrone it. The party is important, but the State is even more important," he said.
Observers say that Koshyari is right in staying put in the Kumaon region. "As many as 29 out of 70 MlAs are elected from the region. The Chief Minister, Harish Rawat himself hailing from the region has added importance to it. Rawat's hold over the regional electorate is still very strong. Besides, the wily CM has been trying assiduously to have the election held on the Kumaon-Garhwal sentimental lines. He is adept too in igniting emotions. The fact should be reckoned too that most of the rebel Congress MlAs who later switched to the BJP were from the Garhwal division. Rawat would leave no stone unturned to spawn a sympathy wave riding the crest of which he hopes to romp home," said a State watcher.
Another observer said Koshyari is a leader whose roots with the villages are very deep. "There is hardly any village which he has not trudged on foot. He seldom use cars during the campaigning," he said. However, the discordant note left by the absence of Koshyari from the important party meeting can hardly be wished away.
"It would prove difficult for the BJP high command to bring all the warring satraps together to take on the might of the Congress and its redoubtable leader.
"There is no magic wand with the top brass to conjure up a united show by dousing the long-smouldering fire of factional antipathy among the leaders who run the factions," said an observer.
Ironically, Koshyari did not attend core committee meeting presided over by BJP national president Amit Shah in Delhi. Political analysts say that taking a cue from the instance of the Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel having resigned after reaching 75 years, Koshyari who would complete 74 years soon has started evading the meetings in a row.
Besides, despite his having a strong hold in Kumaon region, the party high command has not been kind enough as far as his candidature in the Assembly elections is concerned. In 2007, when the BJP formed the Government, denied Assembly candidature, he was sent to the Rajya Sabha. Now, the first time MP Ajay Tamta being inducted in the Union Government left him sulking.
Besides, two leaders - Satpal Maharaj and Vijay Bahuguna - who have just joined the BJP after deserting the supposed to be eyeing the CM chair. Observers say that rubbing Koshyari the wrong way might prove dear for the saffron party.