New Delhi, March 17: BJP president Nitin Gadkari’s new team has upset various camps in the party, particularly those of Mr Arun Jaitley and Ms Sushma Swaraj. Leaders like Mr Shanawaz Hussain are reportedly miffed and feeling marginalised. Fingers are also
being pointed at Mr Gadkari for “introducing a quota system” in the organisation by appointing seven spokespersons covering the different castes.
Questions are being asked about the inclusion of functionaries like RSS mouthpiece Panchajanya’s former editor Tarun Vijay as a spokesperson. Sources disclosed that apart from the RSS, senior party leader L.K. Advani also played a crucial role in the formation of the new team.
Sources disclosed that most of the members of the new team were either RSS nominees or close associates of former party president Rajnath Singh. Most of Mr Jaitley’s and Ms Swaraj’s people failed to find any important berth in Mr Gadkari’s new team. While minority leaders like Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi continues as one of the 11 vice-presidents in the organisation, hectic lobbying by Mr Shahnawaz Hussain for the post of party general secretary failed to yield result. News reports like “RSS against Mr Hussain’s appointment as general secretary” were not “taken kindly either by the Sangh or the top leadership of the party”. Mr Hussain’s argument that he should be made a party general secretary for winning Lok Sabha elections thrice found no takers in the organisation, sources disclosed. The leadership reportedly argued that there “are leaders who have been winning Lok Sabha polls for more than three terms. If they are not being adjusted, then how can Mr Hussain be considered?”
While the RSS managed to extract its pound of flesh, Mr Advani and Mr Rajnath Singh worked quietly to bring in their men. Mr Vijay’s appointment as party spokesperson is reportedly the result of a concerted effort by Mr Advani and the RSS, sources said.
Eyebrows were also raised over Mr Gadkari’s move to appoint seven party spokespersons. He was also accused of “introducing a quota system” in the organisation by having seven spokespersons from different castes. While Mr Prakash Javdekar represents the brahmins, Mr Rajip Pratap Rudy is a thakur. Mr Ravishankar Prasad, the chief spokesperson, is a kayastha while Mr Ramnath Kovind is a dalit. Mr Hussain represented the minority community and Ms Nirmala Sitharaman filled the women’s quota. Mr Vijay, of course, is an old Advani loyalist and RSS man. Earlier, the BJP had a maximum of three spokesperson, which comprised party heavyweights and articulate speakers like Mr Jaitley, Ms Swaraj and Mr Yashwant Sinha; in the later stages it was Mr Ravishankar Prasad and Mr Prakash Javdekar among other senior leaders.
Age Correspondent