In a well-thought strategy, the BJP has decided to delay the nomination of its legislature party leader in Uttarakhand.
While the saffron party recently elected its legislature party leader in Uttar Pradesh, it is delaying the process in this hill state where it lost the power to the Congress by just one Assembly seat.
Sources disclosed the BJP is still hopeful that it can wrest power from the Congress when chief minister Vijay Bahuguna contests the bypoll to enter the state Assembly.
The BJP is planning to field its former CM B.C. Khanduri against Mr Bahuguna.
The BJP, it is learnt, is also delaying the nomination of its Leader of the Opposition as its former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is lobbying for the post but the anti-Nishank camp is against any such move. The party, it is learnt, is in no mood to promote factionalism by appointing LoP as of now. While the Congress had won 32 Assembly seats in the polls, the BJP managed 31.
Sources disclosed that while Mr Bahuguna is struggling to find a safe Assembly seat, the BJP top brass is persuading Mr Khanduri to contest against Mr Bahuguna to create more trouble for the Congress CM. The BJP is of the view that if Mr Khanduri contests, he would get the sympathy votes for losing his Assembly seat but still managing to bring his party to a close second despite the anti-incumbency factor and corruption charges against his predecessor. The BJP is also keeping a close watch on the anti-Bahuguna camp within the Congress.
Sources disclosed the BJP top brass is in constant touch with its senior leaders in the state and MLAs, especially after reports that the Congress is trying to poach its MLAs.
After the BJP lost the polls, a majority section within the party had blamed senior leaders for sabotaging the party’s prospects. Even Mr Khanduri had complained against some of the senior leaders for supporting rebel candidates on his Kotdwar Assembly seat.
The BJP top brass had several rounds of meetings with its Uttarakhand unit to pacify various factions.