Why BJP promoting outsiders in Maharashtra has not gone down well in the party
On December 7, when BJP candidate Prasad Lad won the bypoll of Maharashtra Legislative Council by an unprecedented margin of 136 votes over the Congress’ Dilip Mane, hardly anyone at the BJP headquarters at Nariman Point in Mumbai erupted with joy.
There was a gloomy atmosphere in the party. Unlike other victories, there was no celebration, no distribution of sweets nor any photo session. The reason being that loyal BJP workers are not happy with the party for choosing Lad, an “outsider” who defected from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to join BJP only two years ago, as its representative.
This is the third time that BJP has awarded an outsider a berth in the legislative council. It sent Pravin Darekar and RN Singh to the elders’ house last year. While Darekar was with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Singh was not associated with any party. BJP’s zeal in promoting outsiders has not gone down well among its cadre. They have started complaining about it to their seniors in the party.
That the dissent among the cadre is brewing, is evident in the party’s weakened network at the grass root level. Workers are showing the least interest in serving people, and following the schemes of the Union as well as the state government. A random example from Thane throws a light on how workers are deeply upset with the leaders.
The party had asked the workers to enrol graduate voters for the election of legislative council due in April 2018. The workers distributed the enrolment forms but did not collect them from the graduates.
“Our leaders have already made up their mind to field an outsider, Niranjan Davkhare, from the party in this constituency. Why should we work for his victory?” asked a councillor.
Davkhare, a member of the legislative council from NCP, is likely to switch sides before the election.
The story is not so different in Marathwada, the region which the state BJP president, Raosaheb Danve, belongs to. The workers feel that BJP has adopted a use-and-throw policy for them.
“We were out of power for so many years but never felt isolated,” says a former MLA. “We remained in the party because the leaders would show affection towards us. Now, we are in power but have lost the leaders’ affection. This is heart-breaking.”
BJP is already facing the heat in rural areas over the mess regarding the farmers’ loan waiver, deteriorating law and order situation and disturbed social fabric. The party needs a strong team of dedicated workers to take its development works to the common people. If the workers’ dissent is not addressed in time, it will be too late for the BJP to regain their confidence.
(Courtesy of Mail Today)