Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 18: Notwithstanding the party having formed government with PDP after prolonged stalemate, all is not well within BJP. Resentment is now fresh for the fact that BJP is neither asserting nor reclaiming political posts, most of which are lying vacant at present. Fingers are also being raised as to why the senior BJP minister acted in a discriminatory manner in being selective over 'retention' of just three political appointees who were appointed last year in three different Boards.
Sources said despite BJP having managed marginal increase in the number of berths in Council of Ministers this time, the senior leaders are silent over reclaiming the equitable share in political appointments which ought to be made afresh in the second innings of alliance government. PDP, pertinently, had kept what was seen as lions share in these posts when late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became the Chief Minister last year. As BJP leadership did not press for its equal share at that time, it had to remain content and reconciled with only three posts in three Boards, sources said, though it led to resentment within the party as a number of aspirants expected it to settle for a reasonable number, if not the equal share. Out of nearly one dozen posts, PDP accommodated its own people on majority of key ones.
However, after demise of Mufti Mohammad Syed in January this year, these posts were disbanded or ceased to function automatically as the government ceased to exist in a period of few days, said the sources. Moreover, since Chief Minister who is Chairman for all the Corporations and Boards was not at the helm, this too renders the posts of Vice Chairmen disbanded or dissolved, sources further said. While some people appointed against these Boards were asked to quit, some resigned on their own on moral grounds and these Corporations and Boards had also become dysfunctional during the last three months.
Question marks and fingers are being raised over the status of Kisan Board, Pahari Board and Social Welfare Board as the senior BJP minister is learnt to have strongly vouched and built pressure with the government during Governor's rule in allowing retention of these posts, sources said.
The BJP leader along with the another party leader reportedly called on Governor N N Vohra for this specific purpose at a time when state was under the Governor's rule, sources further said, adding that there was vested interest specially for one of three appointees of BJP as he happens to be close relative of the senior BJP leader. Apart from that anger is growing within the party that why the senior BJP leader is not asking for equal share in the political appointments, which most likely are going to be same as during the last year. |
