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The AAP and Congress have released 70 and 21 names, respectively — adding worry to the BJP state leadership.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), amid much fanfare, had announced its Parivartan Yatra that was to begin on December 8 and would continue until December 20. (Image: PTI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), amid much fanfare, had announced its Parivartan Yatra that was to begin on December 8 and would continue until December 20, where the party would ask residents of Delhi why a political ‘change’ is important in the national capital. Surprising not just the cadres, but also the Delhi leadership of the BJP, the rally was asked to be cancelled by the party’s top leadership.
“Honestly, I would know if a reason would have been given. But there was not any. The entire state BJP was ready to kick off. Not just me, I am afraid, no one in the state unit knows why it was cancelled suddenly. There can be various speculations. But none of them are authentic reasons,” said a senior Delhi BJP leader requesting anonymity while talking to News18. He added, “How do you expect this to be explained to the cadres?”
In mid-November, Delhi BJP set up 47 committees, comprising former and current leaders, sitting MPs, and former ministers, to shape the party’s election campaign. The committees included manifesto, OBC, SC, and Poorvanchali among others. However, the two main committees that screen the top three from each assembly seat that will be sent to BJP’s central election committee for it to choose one from each constituency — are not believed to have been ready yet to function. Meanwhile, the AAP and Congress have released 70 and 21 names, respectively — adding worry to the BJP state leadership.
Another BJP state leader, who is also an MLA, told News18, requesting anonymity, “We do not have any dearth of issues to expose Kejriwal this time. People of Delhi can see through his promise of cleaning Yamuna every five years, he has been in Tihar for his alleged role in a liquor scam, his palace-like official residence has exposed his facade of being an aam aadmi (common man) and now the desperate attempt to hide 14 C&AG report. Yet, if you ask me, I have no knowledge of when we can see the first list.” He added that around a fortnight back, it was set to be “very soon”. However, “something changed” after that.
This uncertainty is also shown on the lower end of the leadership. As recently as this Sunday, former BJP leader Ramesh Pehalwan and his wife Kusum Lata joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP immediately fielded Ramesh Pehalwan from the Kasturba Nagar assembly seat. In the first two lists, the AAP fielded 13 turncoats including those from the BJP like Brahm Singh Tanwar (Chhatarpur) and Jitender Singh Shunty (Shahdara). Kejriwal’s party has announced candidates on all 70 seats.
On Monday, Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva held a closed-door meeting on what the party called organisational work and a future course of action was discussed. But with less than two months left for the Delhi election and BJP’s central leadership caught in a stormy Parliament session, discussion alone may not be the ideal solution in the face of AAP’s aggressive campaign — a knowledge that is making many Delhi BJP leaders jittery.
