Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti’s continued absence from the ongoing Budget Session of the UP Assembly has given rise to speculation about her disillusionment with her stint in UP politics.
Ms Bharti has not bothered to attend the Assembly session for even a single day and has neither raised issues related to Uttar Pradesh at the national level. Charkhari, her constituency in Bundelkhand region, has been reeling under the impact of water paucity and power crisis, but the BJP lead has not thought it necessary to raise these issues in the state Assembly.
According to a senior BJP leader, Ms Bharti is disillusionment with her foray into UP politics because “she does not see any role for herself.”
“She is now preparing for the Lok Sabha polls and has no interest in the state politics,” he added.
With the BJP down to 47 seats, Ms Bharti dreams of being a chief ministerial candidate or even a Leader of the Opposition have been dashed and the firebrand Hindu leader certainly does not wish to be seen playing the role of ‘just another MLA’ in the Assembly.
Ms Bharti has not been very visible in UP politics after the announcement of Assembly results either.
An Uma Bharti aide admitted that “Didi” was preoccupied with the Ganga project and had other more important engagements lined up because of which she could not “find time” to attend the Assembly session. “She is busy with certain issues at the national level and the party MLAs are taking care of local issues in the Assembly session. She will come as soon as she is through with other work,” he said.
BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said that Ms Bharti was busy with the Ganga Abhiyan and would soon come to Lucknow to attend the assembly session.
Other senior leaders declined to comment on her absence.