Bhopal: The BJP’s defeat in Mungaoli and Kolaras by-polls has further heightened tensions between the state BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan and state organisational general secretary Suhas Bhagat. With the exit of Nandkumar almost certain, the party leaders have started disregarding him. On Sunday night, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a discussion on party’s nominees for the impending Rajya Sabha polls and the election strategy with Bhagat and co-organisational general secretary Atul Rai. Nandkumar was not invited to the meeting, which also discussed the future action plan of the party organisation. This is for the first time that Nandkumar was excluded from a meeting on party’s organisational affairs.
On Monday, Bhagat and Rai drove to the chief minister’s house together to greet Chouhan on his birthday. Nandkumar also reached the place, but alone. Nandkumar and Bhagat were never on cordial terms from the very outset. However, the by-poll results have widened the chasm between them. Nandkumar had played no role in the selection of candidates and formulation of the poll strategy of the party for the by-polls but he is being made the scapegoat for the party’s defeat.
It is almost certain that the state BJP would get a new president soon. And that is why; Nandkumar is being sidelined. The RSS is also in favour of change at the helm of the party before the elections.
Ganeshan, Thawarchand to be re-nominated
Of the four RS MPs whose term is ending, L Ganeshan and union minister Thawarchand Gehlot are all set to be re-nominated. The frontrunners for the two remaining seats include Ajay Pratap Singh, Makhan Singh, Krishna Murari Moghe and Arvind Menon.
