Friday, 19 July 2024 | Gajendra Singh Negi
Plain speak
The defeat of BJP candidates (both turncoats) in the recent Badrinath and Manglaur Assembly bypolls has made the long-sulking core cadre of the saffron party assertive against the entry of defectors and assigning plum assignments, including party tickets, to them. This assertion was on display in the party’s extended working committee session in Dehradun recently. Held in the aftermath of the twin defeats, former chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat came down heavily on the decision makers of the party in the session for blessing defectors at the expense of its sincere and seasoned workers who have been carrying the party flag on their shoulders from the days when the BJP was struggling to get a foothold in the political landscape of the State. Amid loud and lusty cheers from the audience, the veteran leader in his inimitable style stressed on the importance of the workers and advised the party leadership to listen to those who have their ears to the ground. The blunt talk by the veteran along with the growing consensus in the saffron outfit that the new entrants are liabilities rather than assets denting the party’s image as one with difference has left many turncoats wary about their political future in their new hideouts.
Good gesture
The accolades heaped upon the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami by the deputy leader of Congress legislature party Bhuwan Kapdi has come as a pleasant surprise amidst the cut-throat political rivalry, no holds barred attack on political opponents and acid-dripping below the belt personal attacks to garner political brownie points have become the norms.
Kapdi appreciated CM Dhami’s prompt response and swift action in extending help to the flood- affected people of Khatima. The CM released a sum of Rs 10 crore for the affected families and administration distributed relief material and food packets in the flood- affected areas. This appreciative gesture is all the more significant as it came from Kadpi who, a political bête noire of CM Dhami, inflicted a humiliating defeat on the latter in Khatima in the 2022 Assembly elections. The defeat forced Dhami to contest a by- election from neighbouring Champawat in order to reach the State Assembly and continue as the CM of the Himalayan State. One hopes that Kapdi’s salubrious gesture will set a healthy trend amidst the charged-up political atmosphere of the State.
Dissecting debacle
The fact -finding committee- sent by the Congress president Mallikarjun Khadge to probe the party’s rout in all the five Lok Sabha seats of the State- has started meeting leaders and functionaries and the frontal organisations in Dehradun. The deliberations are expected to pin down the causes for the party’s poor performance in the LS elections and string of electoral losses in the last 10 years. It is learnt that a section of the party leadership is bent on fixing the responsibility of the 5-0 defeat in the LS elections on the State party chief Karan Mahara and they may bay for his blood. However, the Mahara camp will try to force the detractors to hold fire by appropriating credit for the Congress victory in the recent Badrinath and Manglaur bypolls. His supporters are most likely to pillory the veterans like Harish Rawat, Yashpal Arya and Pritam Singh for fleeing the poll battlefield while arguing that it sent a message to the electorate that the grand old party was staring at an imminent rout.
