Leadership change in state BJP on cards?

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 28

After the Congress, it is action time in the state BJP with the leadership initiating a search for a face who can counter the new state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and at the same time take on the coalition partner Akali Dal in such a way that "they no longer enjoy an open political field in the state".

An indication to this effect came from a meeting of Prabhat Jha, Punjab political affairs in charge of the BJP, with the party's core group members today. Sources said Jha asked most of the members to suggest the leader who could take on Amarinder.

The sources said Jha expressed unhappiness at the much delayed organisational elections in the state and reportedly got feedback that a change in leadership might help the party. 

A number of leaders told him that the party workers were dismayed at the lack of "visionary and inaccessible" leadership.

Putting party affairs before the relationship with the Akalis, Jha made state BJP chief Kamal Sharma skip the Akali Dal's Moga rally. In a last minute change, party's national secretary Tarun Chugh and Health Minister Surjit Jyani were told to represent the party at the rally.

Though Jha told the media that the purpose of his visit was to speed up the organisational elections, he also revealed he had meaningful discussion with the party leaders on a range of issues.

The sources said Jha was told that BJP workers were ignored by the civil and police officials as they had no say in the state despite being a coalition party. Some leaders, wishing not to be quoted, said they told Jha that the workers wanted the party to go solo in the 2017 state Assembly election.