by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
More Dalit Lok Sabha MPs upset with BJP leadership
Dissidence rising in Haryana, UP, Bihar Rajasthan, Delhi
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Dec. 9
After Savitri Bai Phule, a Lok Sabha MP from UP who quit the BJP, a number of other BJP MPs are contemplating to raise a banner of revolt. Encouraged by example set in by the first time MP who was a staunch BJP loyalist, these MPs are also on course to raise their dissatisfaction against the party. It transpires that majority of these MPs belong to the Scheduled Caste community who feel completely orphaned as neither the Centre and nor the BJP ruled Chief Ministers listen to their grievances. They feel that Dalits have been the worst sufferers in the BJP dispensation in states and the Centre.
These MPs have started meeting in groups lately and telling their supporters that they would have to chart out their own course in future. While film-star turn politician Shatrughan Sinha and Kirti Azad are known dissidents, Dharamvir of Haryana has also joined the ranks. At least five Dalit MPs belonging to UP have told the high command that they won’t stay in the party if their community’s oppression continued. A dalit MP from Delhi has already voiced his concern at a party forum recently saying that he would be left with no alternative but to quit the party. No one in the meeting even pacified him.
A Union Minister from Haryana is already holding parleys to float his own party while the other Haryana Minister is peeved that his services were not utilized in the recently held assembly polls. He is being treated as an outcast and politically undermined.
A BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh who is part of this exercise told Lokmat on the condition of anonymity that discontent is simmering in the party in a big way. Irrespective of the outcome of the Assembly polls, a number of MPs will “start talking” and no more be subservient to the high command.
Some of these MPs are aware that they will not get the tickets during the May 2019 Lok Sabha polls as the high command had already indicated that 50 sitting MPs will lose their tickets. Though the 75-year cut off date formula may not be applied strictly, but at least 15 of the oldies will be rested by the party.
These sources say that number of dissidents may swell if the BJP loses all the three major Hindi speaking states on December 11.
Ends
