Ujjain: Although for the time being it seems that the BJP’s game plan to topple Kamal Nath government has turned futile due to its own mistakes, dissidence within Congress may aggravate in the days to come in wake of their ‘patthawaad’ (paternalism).
WHY DID BJP STRATEGY FAIL?
The political upheaval which the state saw during past three days clearly indicates that the Congress government is not as strong as being claimed. The reason being simple: its own MLAs are getting vocal to get berth in the cabinet.
Knowing this ‘natural’ weakness of them the BJP tried to take mileage and took more than 12 MLAs outside Madhya Pradesh so as to topple the government. One of the party insiders on the condition of anonymity disclosed to Free Press that they have managed the required numbers of MLAs in present 228-member house, but a mistake to take BSP MLA Rambai proved fatal as the Congress strategists including former CM Digvijaya Singh came to know about it one day prior in advance i.e. on last Monday.
“We have carried away 7 MLAs smartly. But, to carry Rambai to Delhi in a chartered plane was a mistake as it dented our plan and the secret got revealed,” he said.
DAYS OF CONG GOVT NUMBERED!
The BJP strategists had started winning the trust of certain Congress and non- Congress MLAs soon after Lok Sabha elections, but their efforts got momentum a fortnight ago.
“Different persons were given task to contact the MLAs about five to six months ago, but as soon as our central leadership gave us consent in a single voice we started gathering them away. Many of us approached many MLAs and in this process our secret got open and Digvijaya Singh broke the story on Monday.
Still there is a 50-50 situation, but in our view Congress government’s days are numbered,” revealed the source. DUNG & PARMAR HOG LIMELIGHT Ujjain division, which is considered to be a strong bastion of BJP, emerged crucial in the present political developments. Suwasra MLA (district Mandsaur) Hardeep Singh Dung, who was reportedly away in Bengaluru till Wednesday night, was one of the soft targets of the BJP strategists.
He is the only MLA of the Congress party who won the 2013 election in Ujjain division as the BJP emerged victorious on rest 28 assembly segments of the division. Mahesh Parmar, a first time MLA from Tarana (Ujjain district) was also reportedly approached by the BJP leaders for quitting the Congress and to join the BJP.
“Former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself called me on March 2 and while offering a sum of Rs 35 crore asked me to resign as Congress MLA and fight the byelection on BJP ticket after which the BJP will make me minister on forming the government,” Parmar said to media persons in Bhopal on Wednesday.
IGNORANCE OF SENIOR MLAs CONTINUES TO PROVE COSTLY TO NATH GOVT
Some MLAs said that instead of blaming BJP of being indulged in toppling the Kamal Nath government, the party leadership should think why such a situation cropped-up. “Congress leaders are solely responsible for present mess and not the others.
Nobody wants to join the BJP wagon for the sake of money as all of them want to maintain their honour and dignity,” commented a senior Congress MLA from Ujjain division. According to him, it was an open secret that the BJP leadership was indulged in their efforts to topple the government for a long time.
“The MLAs who have been elected for the third and fourth time were approached and the present crisis surfaced only due to our continuous ignorance,” he added.
The MLA even went on saying that about 10-15 MLAS who got re-elected after 5 years of first term were made ministers. “Those who are three to four time MLAs and fought against the BJP government during their 15 year rule were ignored. All of us are dissatisfied only due to this situation.
The influential party leaders not only succeeded to ensure berth for their sons and brothers, but also obliged their ‘patthas’ (blind followers) with cabinet ministry,” he said with distress.
“How a person (MLA) can wait so long? Most of us feel that the party leadership has ignored us, cheated us and lapsed 15 months of tenure in keeping us under assurance. We feel inferiority on visiting junior ministers to get our works done,” he concluded
