Bhopal: Factionalism within the BJP has intensified with the party fielding its candidate for the election of Speaker and selection of Leader of Opposition (LOP). Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is not in favour of manipulation and that is why he does not want the party to field its candidate for Speaker’s election.
BJP national president Amit Shah decided to field party candidate for speaker’s election. BJP state president Rakesh Singh along with national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and former minister Narottam Mishra were in favour of the party fielding its candidate for Speaker’s elections. This led the central leadership of the party field its candidate for speaker.
Chouhan has kept himself away from lobbying in favour of party candidate Vijay Shah from independent MLAs and the MLAs of SP, BSP and others, as the decision lacked consensus. There were some leaders who were in favour of Narottam Mishra for LOP. While some of them wanted Gopal Bhargava to be appointed as LOP. Sources said the leaders following Chouhan supported Bhargava which led him surpass the number game.
The deadlock between Chouhan and Rakesh Singh within the BJP could now be seen clearly. The role of Singh was also questioned during assembly elections too. Congress won all four seats in his Lok Sabha constituency, Jabalpur while BJP could not win a single seat in Lok Sabha constituency of Chief Minister Kamal Nath. Amidst deadlock between Chouhan and Singh, it is said that a new president of state BJP could be made seeing Lok Sabha elections, who could maintain coordination between Chouhan and LOP Gopal Bhargava.
