During elections when every party bends backwards to refurbish its image, the BJP is tarnishing its own image with uncalled for controversies created by its own leaders.
With episode after episode in the past one month, the BJP has hit headlines for all the wrong reasons that portray the party as an incohesive congregation of over-ambitious leaders.
The first episode relates to the induction of former BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha into the BJP. More than allowing entry to the tainted leader, it was the inept manner in which the BJP handled the entire issue that left it with egg on the face.
BJP leaders, in and outside UP, spoke in multiple voices on the Kushwaha issue, proving that the party leadership had not done any homework before the induction of the controversial politician.
As channels thrived on the Kushwaha “scandal”, the BJP lost whatever advantage it hoped to get among OBCs by bringing in Mr Kushwaha. The All-India Kushwaha Samaj finally issued a terse press statement asking the BJP not to heap insults on Mr Kushwaha.
Though the episode eventually died a natural death when Mr Kushwaha himself requested that his membership be put on hold, the BJP lost face among the masses.
Immediately after the Kushwaha episode, the BJP in UP witnessed another slinging match when the party leadership promoted Pankaj Singh, son of Rajnath Singh, as the general secretary of the UP BJP after denying him a ticket in the Assembly polls.
The elevation of Mr Pankaj Singh led to a revolt-like situation in the party with three party secretaries, Daya Shankar Singh, Ashwini Tyagi and Santosh Singh, submitting their resignation in protest.
The controversy was apparently fuelled by rivals of Mr Rajnath Singh in the state and not even a single state BJP leader defended Mr Rajnath Singh, not even those whose sons are contesting on their father’s strength. It was BJP MP Maneka Gandhi alone who came to Mr Singh’s rescue. The episode, once again, revealed the chinks in the BJP armour and divided the party.