by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
special report
BJP 's “Open Door” policy
Admitting leaders with Open Arm in states
No strings attached
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Aug 10
The BJP leadership is vigorously persuing an “Open Door” policy to expand its base across the country. Even in states where it has a huge majority like UP, it is admitting prominent leaders left, right & centre. With the entry of two Samajwadi Party leaders into the BJP today, the total number of Rajya Sabha MPs who dumped their parties rose to four. C M Ramesh, BJP's new find in Rajya Sabha, is turning out to be the points person in the Upper House to engineer defections. It was he who persuaded Congress Chief Whip Bhubneshwar Kalita to quit the party and RS seat. Ramesh now coordinates with BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav who in turn coordinates with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Raiwaly Minister Piyush Goyal and who in tunr apprise Union Home Minister Amit Shah. A very senior Cabinet Minister explained on the condition of not being named, “We want everybody whosoever matters in public life, to join the BJP. He should work for the party and wait for the opportunity. This is our culture.”
It is precisely with this motive in mind that the BJP admitted 10 MLAs in Goa, willing to admit leaders in Haryana and on a massive talent hunt in Maharashtra despite a huge majority in Assembly with the help of Shiv Sena.
If this insider is to be believed, the BJP is gearing up to contest elections in Maharashtra alone if Shiv Sena acts funny again. It is with this objective in mind that it is admitting leaders from Congress and NCP into the party. “The tickets are given on the basis of extensive surveys done by our machinery. There is nothing automatic,” this Minister said.
As part of this strategy, the BJP is making Rajya Sabha MPs of various parties quit their seats from states where it has a majority. Therefore, those quitting, will be renominated. Like Neeraj Shekhar of SP who quit party and seat was given RS ticket. Kalita, Nagar and Seth will also be given the seats from Assam & UP.
The names of four other Congress MPs is doing the rounds. The BJP is desperate to attain a majority of its own in Rajya Sabha.
Ends
