BJP overcame infighting

Party leaders staged protests, resigned over denial of tickets

For the Bharatiya Janata Party the just-ended poll campaign has been a bumpy ride, beginning with the selection of the chief ministerial candidate to the release of its manifesto.

The infighting over the selection of the chief ministerial candidate when elections were just a month away unsettled the party.

The controversy was over picking between Delhi unit chief Vijay Goel, whom the BJP later decided to bypass as it felt that he did not have any ‘connect’ with the party cadre, and Harsh Vardhan, who is perceived to be a clean and humble politician.

The turmoil in the party didn’t end there.  After the first list of candidates was declared, there were protests.

Black flags were waived outside the Delhi unit office, and some party men resigned and changed camps.

Among the protesters were supporters of South Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Sarita Choudhary who was denied the ticket to contest from Mehrauli constituency. And BJP’s four-time legislator Harsharan Singh Balli resigned from the primary membership of the party in protest against the denial of ticket. Azad Singh, North Corporation mayor, too flexed muscles.

Amritsar-born Balli, 65, held the Hari Nagar seat but this time the BJP handed the constituency over to its ally Akali Dal. So Balli joined hands with Congress, which nominated from Hari Nagar again. Balli also resigned from the post of deputy leader of opposition in the Assembly and chairman of the assurances committee.

The veteran leader, who is now bound to a wheelchair due to poor health, complained that he had been ignored by the party despite being in politics since 1977, when he first became a councillor.

Miffed with the BJP over denial of ticket, Azad Singh, brother of former  chief minister Sahib Singh Verma, too put in his papers. He also called a mahapanchayat to show his popularity among the masses.

Quickly getting into damage control mode, BJP shifted Manoj Shokeen, the sitting MLA from the area to Nangloi, and gave the Mundka seat to Azad Singh.

The BJP’s Delhi unit waited for the Congress list to be out before taking a decision on eight Assembly seats as the party believed they were “very crucial”.

The saffron party had to face a series of allegations levelled by the Congress. Sheila Dikshit's party slammed Harsh Vardhan, who was Health Minister in the 1990s, for taking the credit for making Delhi polio-free. The Congress even filed a complaint on this with the Delhi Electoral Officer.

“False and misleading information was being used by Harsh Vardhan and BJP in their campaign,” Congress said, and alleged violation of the model code of conduct.

“The advertisements issued by BJP and Harsh Vardhan are not only distorted but are contrary to the official records regarding polio cases in Delhi,” said Congress.

The attacks got nastier when the Congress tried to counter BJP’s hoardings alleging that Delhi government had failed to check rapes in the city. The Congress dug up a 1996-97 case of alleged rape of a maid at the house at Harsh Vardhan.

At a press conference, Congress leaders took potshots at Harsh Vardhan. “If a woman is not safe in the 200 square yards premises of Harsh Vardhan, how can he assure to protect other women in the city?” said Food and Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf.

The BJP was the last party among the three main contenders to release its manifesto.
According to reports, the party had a hard time in bringing all its stalwarts on board to attend the manifesto release function on a particular date.

The party’s manifesto committee chief Harsh Vardhan lobbied hard with top leaders like former BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley so that they take out time to make an appearance at the event.