JOIN USApparently apprehending that the “old” leaders would not be able to stem the decline of the party in the state, which will face assembly polls in 2012, the Uttar Pradesh BJP legislators feel that the rein of the party’s state unit should be handed over to Varun.
The demand for appointing Varun the UP BJP president and also replacing other “oldies” with “young faces” gained momentum after the Samajwadi Party made 36-year-old Akhilesh Yadav its UP chief. At the state BJP legislature party meeting held here a few days ago, the party MLAs openly called for a total revamp of the state party’s structure by bringing in young leaders. “While the Congress reaped a rich harvest by projecting Rahul Gandhi as its next leader, the SP has also handed over the reign of the UP unit to Akhilesh Yadav. Now, it is the time for the BJP to promote its young leaders,” said a young party MLA while speaking to Deccan Herald.
The MLA confided that many young legislators openly criticised the “old guards”, who were occupying senior positions in the state, and held them responsible for the party’s “pathetic performance” in the just concluded LS polls. They said “old leaders” failed to gauge the mood of the electorate.
Advisory role for ‘oldies’
“The old leaders should now act as advisors and give way to young faces like Varun, who has the ability to attract crowds and lift the sagging morale party workers”, the legislator said. “We will be routed if corrective measures are not adopted,” another MLA told senior leaders.
However, some state office bearers, present at the meeting, opposed Varun saying that his “brand of Hindutva” had harmed the party. According to a senior state BJP leader, the meeting witnessed heated exchanges between the young MLAs and other leaders. State BJP chief R R Tripathi, however, denied any differences.
“Our support base has not decreased, but we have to remain united”, he said.
DH News Service