BJP leaders meet Shah, pulled up for ‘poor show’

nesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 13

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the J&K BJP leadership was taken to task by the party high command for the prevailing “mess and anarchy” in the state unit.

The state leaders were also pulled up for the “poor performance” of the party in J&K, where the BJP had shared power with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for three and a half years.

Sources said the party top brass asked the local leadership to connect with the people, especially in Jammu and Ladakh regions —- the core constituencies of the party.

“Although the party’s performance was ‘satisfactory’ in the just-concluded urban local bodies elections due to the boycott call of the NC and PDP, hardcore supporters of the BJP are annoyed with the party due to the poor performance of former party ministers,” a source said, adding that “the high command is very much aware of the misdeeds of former ministers”.

State party president Ravinder Raina along with general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul was called to New Delhi to review the functioning of the party in J&K. “During the meeting with national president Amit Shah, party leaders discussed the outcome of the civic and panchayat elections,” a source said. BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna were also present in the meeting.

“Although the state leaders claimed that the party’s performance was satisfactory in the panchayat poll, held on a non-party basis, the central leadership had received reports that many BJP-supported candidates had lost the elections,” a source said. The sources said the meeting discussed the party’s position in J&K ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. In 2014, the BJP had created history by winning three Parliament and 25 Assembly seats in the state. Amit Shah asked the state unit leaders to improve their image and address issues pertaining to the people, the sources added.