In dynastic politics, BJP surpassing other parties

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 11

Rising to power after charging the Congress, National Conference, and Peoples Democratic Party with promoting dynastic legacy, the BJP is following the same path now.

Whether it was as part of the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state or the ongoing urban bodies elections, the party is drawing widespread resentment from its cadre for promoting “bhai-bhatijavaad.” Ironically, this maxim was used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the election campaign in 2014 against his rivals.

State BJP general secretary Yudhveer Sethi’s wife Priya Sethi, who was earlier a Minister of State in the coalition, has been recently made spokesperson while state Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh’s wife Mamta Singh is occupying the post of the party’s state vice-president.

Interestingly, former minister Sukhnandan Chaudhary and BJP MLA Sat Sharma have allegedly got their respective sons Vikas Chaudhary and Karan Sharma “adjusted” as Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state president and vice-president, respectively.

Rajeev Charak, who looks after the BJP training department, got his wife Anuradha Charak appointed as the state secretary while Mahila Morcha state secretary Sanjita Dogra is wife of Naresh Dogra, who is publicity secretary.

Taking the dynastic politics further, the party adjusted relatives of influential leaders as candidates during the civic bodies elections.

Deepak Gupta, brother of former Speaker Kavinder Gupta, was allegedly preferred over the local party candidate in Ward No. 36 in Jammu.

Similarly, Sat Sharma’s relative Ravi Kant Sharma was given a ticket for Ward No. 28, allegedly ignoring a party worker in the constituency. BJP’s former councillor Balwan Singh’s daughter Nidhi Malhotra too got a civic poll nomination from the party.

Plum posts 

• State BJP general secretary Yudhveer Sethi’s wife Priya Sethi, who was earlier a Minister of State in the coalition, has been recently made party spokesperson 
• Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh’s wife Mamta Singh is occupying the post of the party’s state vice-president
• Former minister Sukhnandan Chaudhary’s son Vikas is state president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) while BJP MLA Sat Sharma’s son Karan has been “adjusted” as BJYM vice-president.