BJP leaders to brief high command on functioning of party ministers

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 22

Amid reports that the BJP central leadership is not happy with the performance of party ministers in the coalition government, the visit of two senior leaders to Delhi for meetings with the high command has raised many eyebrows.

BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul and general secretary Dr Narendra Singh are visiting Delhi on Thursday for important discussions with the party leadership on important issues pertaining to the state. Both Koul and Dr Singh are considered as hardcore RSS men, who have been specially deputed in the party to strengthen the organisation.

Sources said both the general secretaries of the BJP would discuss organisational issues with the central leadership and would also brief them about the “achievements and failures” of the party ministers in the coalition government. The duo has been asked to prepare progress reports about party ministers and as well as those who are running affairs of the party.

Highly placed sources said during his recent visit to Jammu on March 16, party’s national general secretary Ram Madhav had not received very encouraging feedback about the performance of party ministers in the coalition government. Ram Madhav, who is the architect of restitching the PDP-BJP alliance in J&K after the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had interacted with senior party leaders and workers during his daylong visit to Jammu on March 16. “BJP high command was occupied with the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections. So, after the completion of the process, the party high command has started strengthening the organisation in J&K where gap between the party and the government is widening with each passing day,” a source said, adding that party in charge of J&K affairs Avinash Rai Khanna too had not received a good feedback about the functioning of party ministers in J&K.

Sources said BJP workers during their interactions with Ram Madhav and Avinash Rai Khanna had alleged that there was rampant corruption in the departments of BJP ministers. It was also alleged that instead of addressing grievances of party workers, BJP ministers were giving importance to power brokers of the previous NC-Congress regime.

EC issues notification for Council polls

Jammu: The Election Commission has decided to hold the biennial elections for the six seats of theLegislative Council on April 17, two days before they fall vacant. The ECI in its formal notification issued on Wednesday fixed March 29 as the last date for filing of nominations. The scrutiny of the papers will be held on March 30 while the candidates will be allowed to withdraw their candidature till April 3, it said. The voting hours have been fixed from 9 am to 4 pm. The ECI also appointed the Assembly secretary as the returning officer and its deputy secretary as the assistant returning officer to conduct the polls. — PTI