Miffed BJP seeks report from Delhi unit; ‘rank factionalism mars party’
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, October 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party top brass is miffed at the functioning of the party’s Delhi unit, grimly noting the city chief Adesh Gupta could not build on the campaign on the alleged “excise scam”. The BJP has prepared a report after sending Central observers to hold brainstorming with the city unit of the leaders to find out reasons for lackluster performance of the party against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The top brass of the BJP is particularly miffed with the Delhi unit of the party for failing to build campaign against the AAP despite the heat on the top leadership of the ruling party in the city from the investigative agencies. “The excise scam issue was squandered by the Delhi BJP. By the time the people began discussing the allegations against the AAP, Delhi BJP went silent on the issue. Individually a few of the city leader from the party are trying their best, but the party in Delhi is hardly seen in the popular perception,” the report, which has been submitted to the Central BJP, sources said, has noted.
The report, sources again, stated that the Delhi BJP leaders are busy “doing formalities of gathering and getting their photographs clicked for sharing on the social media. “Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has got free hand to campaign in Gujarat after the city unit of the BJP could not pin down him in the national capital despite serious allegations against his government and key ministers,” sources added.
The Central BJP is particularly miffed, sources said, at the functioning of Gupta, who is seen to be working with a team of private aides, while “failing to build a team in Delhi”. “Even while the BJP is gaining grounds across the country, the party remains grounded in Delhi, and the top brass of the party needs crack whip against leaders who are working for their own interests by throwing them out to give a loud message,” said a senior BJP functionary.
Incidentally, while the Central BJP had sought suggestions from the Delhi unit leaders on ways to tackle Kejriwal, sources said hardly any such ideas were shared, “which again exposes lack of initiatives”.