Attacking the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for its “step-motherly” treatment towards BJP- and NDA-ruled states, the BJP has charged the Centre with using constitutional institutions as “weapons” and “pressurising” state bureaucracy, thus “compromising the states’ interest. The party also passed a resolution focusing on good governance, corruption, strengthening the organisation, accountability and transparency and war against terrorism.
At the BJP chief ministers’ conclave which concluded on Tuesday, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of state bureaucrats being pressurised by the Centre. IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, who was the DCP at State Intelligence Bureau during the 2002 riots in Gujarat, had alleged Mr Modi of complicity in the communal riots in his affidavit filed before the Supreme Court. Misuse of the CBI against BJP-ruled states was also discussed during the conclave.
BJP Parliamentary Party chief L.K. Advani, who addressed the conclave, charged the UPA rule with trying to destabilise his party’s governments in states and made a special mention of Gujarat.
The issue of governors “acting as political agents of the UPA” to “frustrate” the BJP, was also raised during the conclave. The BJP had often accused Karnataka governor H.R. Bhardwaj of “unconstitutional conduct” to destabilise its government in the state.
The Madhya Pradesh government led by Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused the Centre of “deliberately making sure that the state doesn’t become self-reliant in coal energy” by allocating it the required amount of quota.
The BJP central leadership also directed its chief ministers to maintain time-bound and better coordination with the organisation in states. Mr Modi talked about “tiffin meetings” organised in his state where party MLAs meet party workers for discussion in villages over lunch. The party is of the view that involvement of party workers in policy-related issues and other major discussions help in strengthening the organisation as well as keeping the process transparent. Party seniors also underlined the need for exchanging notes on issues to keep each other on the same page as far as policies are concerned.
The CMs are expected to meet the local BJP office-bearers and workers during their tours to the states.