Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Oct 4: As per information gathered, differences within the state BJP that have been brewing behind the scenes on account of personal enmity among the leaders had made BJP national president, Amit Shah, to cancel his engagements here. Shah was to take part in a few programmes in the city during his return trip from Kerala tour.
The simmering discontent within the BJP that was evident since about a year was addressed by Amit Shah during his state visit in August this year and the state leaders had begun to show solidarity albeit in front of the public. At the same time, factionalism resulting out of egotism of a few leaders continued to thrive subcutaneously. The situation has reached such a pass that even at district level the party's local leadership is said to be on the verge of suffering vertical split. It is said that Amit Shah, who gathered information about this situation, suddenly cancelled his meetings here to show his discontentment about the habit of the leaders here to keep their personal egos ahead of party interests.
Shah, on his return from Kerala, was to hold meetings here with state core committee of the party, office bearers, traditional campaign committee and non-traditional campaign committee. He was also scheduled to hold interaction with leaders of various sectors in the evening. But by Tuesday afternoon the message that Shah had cancelled all his engagements, arrived.
Amit Shah
Initially signals emanating from the party indicated that meetings would be held but Amit Shah would not participate in them. Later, it was said that these meetings would be held on Wednesday at Bengaluru. Later, it was clarified that no meetings would happen.
Shah had issued clear instructions to party leaders that the party should be strengthened from booth level, and all morchas and units of the party should remain vibrant without any factionalism and that they should unitedly face the election. Although the first two directions are being followed, and on the face of it everything appears to be normal, internally factionalism has been corroding the party from within. Amit Shah, who got this information from his own sources, reportedly told the leaders that he would attend programmes in the city only after the issue of factionalism is addressed and the problem is done away with.
While officially BJP took the stand that the party president's visit here had to be cancelled in view of his urgent engagements at New Delhi, the actual reason is said to be the frustration Shah has been experiencing at the irresponsible behaviour shown by state party leaders.
During his visit to Bengaluru during August, Amit Shah had announced that Yeddyurappa would be the chief ministerial candidate and the election has to be fought under his leadership unitedly. The differenced then seemed to have died down, but with the recent formation booth, traditional and non-traditional campaign committees, the dissidence surfaced again. Allegedly, preference was given to supporters of B L Santhosh, national organizing joint general secretary of the party in these committees and that Yeddyurappa was not consulted in advance before the committees were formed. There are claims that district level manifesto committees have been formed as per the directions of Amit Shah and that loyalty to the party was the only criteria for the selection of members.
BJP has formed a 17-member election manifesto committee. All the members of this committee are close to Yeddyurappa. A group within BJP is angry for overlooking the contributions made by supporters of Santhosh who had taken over responsibility of electoral campaign of the party when Yeddyurappa had deserted the party in 2013.