The Hindu : Simmering discontent plagues Delhi BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 17, 2003

National

National

Simmering discontent plagues Delhi BJP

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI APRIL 16. With the Delhi Assembly polls round the corner, all is not well within the Delhi unit of the BJP, with indications of an imminent crisis in view of simmering discontent and increasing factional war. Not only has a dispute arisen over the leadership of the present incumbent, Madan Lal Khurana, and his ability to deliver, there are also doubts over the ability of the party leadership and the Government to fulfil the agenda outlined for Delhi.

The ongoing power struggle within the party has had an adverse impact on the morale of the party workers. In addition to this, the indifferent attitude of the party leadership and those in the Government towards the demands of Delhi has further aggravated the situation. Not able to get a positive response to his demands, Mr. Khurana is learnt to have conveyed his resentment on various issues. It is understood that Mr. Khurana has left for Mussoorie this morning for "self-introspection'' and decide his future plan of action.

Sources said that a section within the party has decided to take on Mr. Khurana and is disputing his projection as the Chief Ministerial candidate. An intense power struggle has been triggered within the Delhi unit with some leaders impressing on the Central leadership for a change of guard to take on the Congress Government. This section has pointed out that Mr. Khurana had failed to take on the Sheila Dikshit Government and instead trained his guns on his own Government on various issues. The faction has even suggested the names of Union Law and Justice Minister, Arun Jaitely, and the party spokesman, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, as the possible successors to Mr. Khurana.

Mr. Jaitely's name had cropped up two months ago though he is a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat. Sources said an impression was fast gaining ground within the party that Mr. Khurana had not been able to deliver and put the Dikshit Government in the dock. The supporters of Mr. Khurana argue that the BJP leadership and the higher ups in the Government had failed to extend support to the issues raised by him. They point out that Mr. Khurana had taken up charge of Delhi on the promise that his agenda would be fulfilled at any cost. But that has not happened and efforts had been made to marginalise him and project him as a failure which was unfair to a person who had devoted his entire career for the welfare of the party.

"This development could have come at a worse time. The party cannot afford another crisis with elections round the corner. This would derail the party and put a question mark over its ability to dethrone Congress during November polls,'' a senior party leader remarked.

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