The BJP, which has been taking the high moral ground on corruption issues, has inducted a suspect in Uttar Pradesh’s multi-crore NRHM scam, Babu Singh Kushwaha, and Badshah Singh, who faces land-grabbing charges. The BJP held a function at its national headquarters here to induct these leaders.
Mr Kushwaha and Mr Singh are both being investigated by the state lokayukta over corruption charges. Both of them were ministers in the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh before being removed from their posts and expelled by the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party following the lokayukta probe.
The BJP reportedly inducted these two after the Congress turned down their feelers, sources said. It was also a homecoming of sorts for both leaders, who had quit the BJP in 2007 to join the BSP.
BJP state unit chief Surya Pratap Shahi defended the move to induct them, saying “they will help the party to expose the corruption in Mayawati’s regime”. The CBI had recently questioned Mr Kushwaha for alleged financial irregularities in implementation of the NRHM scam in Lucknow and the death of two CMOs and a deputy CMO. These deaths were allegedly linked to the multi-crore scam. Defending the “tainted” recruits, the BJP state chief said the “UP chief minister is directly responsible for corruption in the state”, and that “both these leaders were being made scapegoats”.
A section of BJP leaders appears to be upset at the move to induct politicians facing corruption charges. They feel such a move “will send a wrong signal”, particularly since the party has been taking on the government over corruption issues.
The BJP has also, incidentally, been supporting self-styled “Gandhian” Anna Hazare’s so-called fight against corruption.
The BJP also feels that because Mr Kushwaha is a prominent OBC leader, his induction will mobilise the OBC vote bank in the state. As of now, the only visible OBC leader with the party in UP is Uma Bharti. Earlier, the BJP had inducted another BSP minister, Mr Daddan Mishra, who resigned from Ms Mayawati’s party last week; he has been given a BJP ticket from Bhinga constituency.