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| Expulsion of tainted MLAs Belated action by BJP will not restore its credibility | | | Yash Bhasin | 11/21/2011 10:55:01 PM |
| Last long BJP has mustered the courage to act in a way which was long over due ie. to expel the remaining six suspended MLAs, charged by the party high command of indulging in cross voting, defying party whip, in favour of the NC and the Congress candidates in the state Legislative Council elections, held on April 13 this year. The former Leader of the BJ P Legislative Party, Chaman Lal Gupta, who too was charged of cross voting, was expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years on May 31. .
The action taken by the party is belated. It is like crying over split milk, since already much harm has been caused to the party's credibility due to its hesitation to. lose 7 MLAs out of its strength of 11 in the state assembly, which the party had won in the 2008 state assembly elections, for the first time such a solid strength, achieved by riding on the piggy back of the popular agitation in Jammu over Amarnath Yatra land row. The movement against cancellation of 800 kana Is of land in Baltal and Pahalgham areas to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for creating infrastructural facilities for the Hindu pilgrims to Amarnath, coming from all over the country was spearheaded by the RSS floated Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Smiti, which had got overwhelming support from all sections of the people on Jammu, including many Muslim and Christian groups.
The land allotment to the SASB by the Govt. headed by Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, was cancelled after the then new State Governor NN Vohra, in his capacity as Chairman of SASB had himself surrendered the allotted land to the Govt. the same was done in the background of strong protests in Kashmir valley against the allotment of land, raising the wolf cry of a conspiracy to change the demographic character of Kashmir from Muslim majority to Hindu Majority by permanently settling Hindus from other parts of the country on the land, which is at a height of 13,000 feet and remains snow bound for 8 months in a year. The other objection raised against the allotment was its adverse impact on the ecology and environment. The agitation in Kashmir and the Govt. surrender before it was interpreted as an assault on Hindu religious faith, by the Islamic fundamentalists and communalists led by separatists, but supported by the so called main stream Kashmir centric parties, the PDP and the NC, succumbing before their vote bank political interest. This had led to sharp regional polarization in the State, between Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Taking advantage of the same the BJP made the issue as its main election plan and won 11 seats in the State assembly.
The expulsion of the remaining six MLAs by the BJP has come only after the leader of the rebels, Chaman Lal Gupta, who was expelled from the party earlier and the six suspended MLAs had done great harm to the party, engineering a mini split in the party, with some party activists, having long association with the saffron outfit, right from the Jan Sang days have left the party and joined the newly formed party by Chaman Lal Gupta's son. The demonstrations by the supporters of these MLAs against party vetern and senior most national leader LK Advani, showing him black flags, in association with the Samarjeet Singh Maan group of Akali Dal. on Advanis visit to Jammu, on November 16, was perhaps the last straw on camel's back for the BJP to withhold disciplinary action against the rebels. The indecisiveness of the party and dilly dallying in taking strong action against the violators of party discipline and alleged cross voters, has already caused much set back to the party's credibility. Further, the party took the action only after all moves by it to placate and wean out some of the suspended MLAs, from the group did not bear fruit.
This has exposed the party making compromise with principled politics of not tolerating political dishonesty, of which these MLAs are charged by the party high command itself. If the party had followed the dictum of stitch in time saves nine, by taking timely action against the suspended MLAs, the party would have retrieved much of his prestige and credibility and many of its workers, who have left the party, would have perhaps not done so. The party allowed ample time to the rebels to consolidate their position by challenging the decision of party high command and counter charging the loyal MLAs and the other state leaders of the party, with the latter remaining defensive.
Even now when the expulsion of these MLAs has been announced, the same has conveyed and impression of the incumbent state leadership and the party being defensive and lacking courage to face the media queries. Instead of the state Union President, new leader of the legislature party or the Chief whip announcing the expulsion, the job was assigned to Ms Nirmal Kamal. one of the three junior spokespersons. The press was not briefed in this regard by the chief spokesperson and the member of the national executive, Dr Jatinder Singh. All of them, it is reported, felt shy of facing the media, fearing unpalatable and embarrassing questions from them on the counter charges leveled by the rebels against them. They are also reported to have avoided making announcement of this decision, to spare themselves of being made the target of more attacks by the rebels, thus betraying their guilt conscience.
While the ball is now in the court of the speaker, weather to disqualify the 7 MLAs, charged by the party of defying the party whip, thus coming under defection law involving disqualification, as recommended by the new leader of the legislative party of the BJP. The speaker is likely to take decision in keeping with the interests of the ruling National Conference, to whom disqualification of the 7 MLAs may not suit. The Congress which had been earlier seeking their disqualification only to settle scores with the BJP and put it in the wrong, too may like these MLAs to continue to be the members of the State assembly, to use them as bull work against any attack on them by the BJP. The Congress which is the main rival of BJP in the Jammu region visualises its better chances to win in any next elections, with the common saffron vote bank being divided between the BJP and the party to be floated by these rebels. With a solid strength of 7 MLAs, the new party will have some relevance and support based among the voters, who traditionally opt for BJP. Deprived of the status of MLAs, through disqualification, they may not be as affected to harm the BJP, as they can do by remaining as MLAs. |
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