New Delhi, June 17: Showing discipline whip is common in the Bharatiya Janata Party. Ironically, the senior party leaders forget the discipline when it comes to them. Resignation by two senior leaders, including Arun Jaitley and Yashwant Sinha, within a week shows that there is rift in the party.
Overconfidence led to the party’s debacle in the general election 2004 while internal bickering cost dear to the party in 2009 LS polls.
Political pundits are of the opinion that the party lacks the discipline of Atal and Advani era. Indiscipline provoked factionalism and rift. Now there are two groups in Party.
Owing to factionalism, several leaders quit the BJP and either working independently or in hibernation. Recall a bit, a long list of BJP-rebel comes to the fore.
KN Govindacharya, the former think tank of the BJP, defected the BJP long time back and came down heavily on the party. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh turned rebellion and contested as an independent.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana left the party and join Uma Bharati’s BJS. However, his association with the BJS didn’t last long and he returned to the party.
Unrest among the BJP leaders in other states is brewing. Former vice-president and veteran BJP leader Bhairon Singh Shekhavat is also not happy with the BJP. Party leaders like Arun Shourie, Jaswant Singh, Yaswant Sinha and Vinay Katiyar are said to be angry with the party.
In the name of analyzing party’s debacle, Yashwant Sinha resigned from all organizational post. This was more than a shock to the party.
Even though the BJP contested recent LS polls projecting LK Advani as a strong leader, the rift among the party leaders weaken him as the bickering was enough to change the current against the party.
Just before the elections, controversy between BJP president Rajnath Singh and general secretary Arun Jaitley also gave a negative impression that created turmoil in the party. Former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh left the party during recent polls with a view to defeating the BJP.
Sudhindra Kulkarni’s attitude is startling as he held others responsible for drubbing.
In BJP parliamentary board meeting, when Arun Shourie said there should be an analysis of the party’s debacle, BJP president Rajnath Singh remarked that if it needed, it will be done.
Last week, in spite of BJP’s declaration to support the women reservation bill, senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar opposed it. Thereafter Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha’s matters shook the party.
Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha have raised some important points. They are of the opinion that the party should anaylse the reason of debacle in detail and should take steps to eradicate them. Both the leaders want new leadership and are upset over appointment of Jaitley as opposition leader in the upper house.
Rajnath Singh tried to give indication that there in no indiscipline in the party at any level by accepting Yashwant Sinha’s resignation. Singh, however, said that root of indiscipline are getting deeper in the party.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley today quit as general secretary. Present scenario shows that the BJP needs profound introspection. Unity and discipline is a must for any organization to succeed. These two are missing. If BJP wants to play role of an effective opposition at national level, it will have to get rid of internal bickering and factionalism.
—Agencies