Perform or Perish !
The diktat of the saffron party’s national president to the ministers of TSR government to show performance within 20 days has set a cat among the pigeons here. The prospect of a corporate style review by the saffron bosses is unnerving the ministers many of whom were taking things very lightly. The terse message of 20 day period for performance has also meant that the long awaited expansion of the state Cabinet to fill three vacant positions could be on the cards soon and contrary to the earlier belief that TSR would not drop any minister, the non performers can be shown the exit door. The BJP’s boss was demanding not only on the ministers but was categorical that all the party leaders irrespective of the stature should be in active mode and that they should increase interaction with cadre and general public. Reading the writing on the wall, the state president of the saffron party was quick to understand the situation and his office released an extensive tour programme of his on the very next day of the statement made by the party president. He would visit every assembly constituency of the state to boost the morale of party workers.
Anxious Minister
A young and energetic minister of the Himalayan state is said to be looking for a safe seat in the plains, particularly in the provisional state capital of Dehradun as he views himself on a weak wicket in the constituency which he at present represents. The minister who is eying a promotion to the cabinet rank in the next expansion won from the constituency considered to be the heart of Garhwal division thanks primarily due to an anti incumbency wave and NaMo magic in the elections of 2017. The candidate who was defeated by the minister in the last election is a Congress heavyweight who would surely make his re-election difficult. To add to the problems of the minister many of his supporters who toiled hard for him in the election are said to be not happy with him. In such circumstances, the Minister is scouting for a safe seat and has zeroed on one but it would be difficult for him to dislodge the sitting MLA who is a local strongman and had switched to saffron camp along with other turncoats in March 2016.
Coterie’s clout
The leader of the principal opposition party in the Himalayan state is said to be under the influence of a coterie which is making things difficult for the party hoping to make a comeback to power in 2022. The members of this coterie barring one or two are rootless, command no support in party and most of them are seen propagating their personal agenda. An example of the power enjoyed by this group was witnessed in the recent marriage of son of the Neta ji when many seasoned leaders and old timers of the party were dropped from the list of invitees. It would be interesting to watch the manoeuvres of this coterie in the election year and its influence on the performance of the party.
Friday, 11 December 2020 | Gajendra Singh Negi | Dehradun
