SHIV KUMAR PADHA
It is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that we are having BJP as the coalition partner in the State Government under the able and dynamic leadership of Dr. Nirmal Singh Dy. Chief Minister of the State. The credit for the unprecedented victory of BJP in the state goes mainly to the Modi wave prevailing in the nook and corner of the country, the concerted efforts of the team under the guidance and leadership of Jugal Kishore Sharma President BJP Jammu and Kashmir which liberated Jammu People from the decades long yoke of the Kashmir based and Kashmir centric government. But for the Modi wave, joint efforts of the State and Central team of BJP this Herculean task would have remained merely a mirage. The performance of some of the seasoned ministers has remained praiseworthy till date but those of majority of our MLAs and ministers have come under scanner. Having associated with the party from erstwhile PrajaParishad of 1953 till the present BJP, I take it my moral duty to apprise the central leadership regarding the attitude, arrogance and the autocratic behavior of majority of the BJP legislature in general and the ministers and organisational leaders in particular towards the innocent, honest, gullible ground level workers and the voters. This kind of unexpected behaviour of our leaders is tarnishing the image of the party in the State, which, if not checked can consequently prove detrimental for the unity and future prospects of the party in the State. I feel privileged to draw your kind attention towards the performance and attitude of the majority of BJP legislatures to take cognisance of and help arrest the further deterioration and damage to the party in the days to come as under;
The Jammu unit of BJP considers the chunk of land falling between river Chenab and Tawi as the whole Jammu region in the matters of, nominations for berths in the Legislative Assembly and Council and appointment in the boards, committees and corporations.
In order to take test drive of the Modi wave in the country the aspirants including the sycophants, the turn coats and the kin of the State party leaders thronged the party office daily where many of them succeeded in getting the mandate even for the constituencies they never belonged to.
The allotment of the tickets was made sitting in the ivory towers of the State party office without conducting the survey of the constituencies spread over vast area of Jammu region consequently giving preference to the influential persons over the honest, dedicated and educated persons from the field.
The expelled politicians, known for vulgarity, character assassination and cacophony were honorably accommodated in the party who are now seen hell-bent destroying the party network from their constituencies by converting the BJP workers into their personal supporters by lock, stock and barrel.
Ensuring the victory of NC provincial president, a close associate and right hand of former (NC) CM of the State, a BJP seat of one constituency in the vicinity of Jammu was doled out in the tray to him by sacrificing the interest of the party.
The day the BJP candidates were elected as MLAs, they changed their previous telephone numbers, broke the contacts with the workers and developed a cocoon of sycophants, kith and kin around them. In this way they have become inaccessible for the common man and the ground level workers. Instead of planning for the development of their constituencies, they are totally engrossed in making hay while the sun shines.
The party leadership of Jammu gives priority to the permutations and combinations from among the Jammuites during nominations for reserved berths in the Assembly and council when, there is no dearth of capable, educated, honest men and women in the whole Jammu region.
There seems no logic behind the adoption of the two princes, possessing average intelligence and IQ, each by BJP and PDP and rewarding them with the berths in the Legislative Council. It is pertinent to mention here that the father of these two rewarded princes has been permanently showcased as Congress MP in the Indian Parliament. The party could very easily adjust any dedicated and educated party workers from the field who have been standing in the queue since long and waiting for their turn. It is shocking to say that the field workers have been bearing the brunt of the political rivalries, at their places the same rivals are seen hugging each other and rewarding them with the constitutional posts.
None of the four persons nominated as MLCs by BJP fall under the criteria nor possess the requisite qualifications needed for the nominations as MLC in the constitution accept that they are either the sons of VIPs or ex MLAs who should have morally (not personally) held responsible for the cross voting by their team in the last LA.
Many among the new BJP MLAs lack in vision and wisdom who are completely devoid of the knowledge about the business and procedures of the House. Except few, majority of the new entrants are introvert and do not dare speak with their coalition partners by looking in their eyes with the result every time some senior BJP leader from Delhi has to visit State to settle even the ordinary issues with their coalition partners (PDP) on their behalf.
Many BJP MLAs, in order to please their coalition partners, sometimes get swayed with the ideology and hidden agenda of PDP forgetting the responsibility they have been entrusted with by the voters of the Jammu region.
PDP is stealthily implementing its hidden agenda of appeasement of Kashmiris, separatists, terrorists, stone pelters and antinational elements by rewarding them with amenities like employment, scholarships, honorable rehabilitation and recruitment in security forces, whereas the team of BJP MLAs, instead of putting in concerted efforts look like a divided house busy in infighting and excelling each other in pleasing their coalition task masters for their personal benefits.
There is contrast in the working style of the team of BJP MLAs and that of the PDP. While PDP seems committed to safeguard the interests of Kashmir the BJP MLAs take it pride to sabotage their own interests.
The coalition partner takes many important decisions unilaterally and doesn’t care a bit for BJP legislatures which has become a cause for the annoyance among the dedicated BJP workers and the voters of the Jammu region.
Consequently the roots of PDP are deepening every day in the soil of Kashmir whereas in Jammu BJP is digging its grave deep every day. It looks as if the BJP legislators are sailing in the rudderless vessel which is likely to capsise if not anchored properly in time.
Before the BJP meets its waterloo in the coming local body and the next general elections the team of the BJP legislators be directed to keep permanent liaison with people in general and field workers in particular and make room for them in the matters of nominations and adjustment on various positions in the boards, corporations and committees otherwise the workers will feel that they are only meant for arranging for party rallies, pitching tents, laying carpets, serving meals and tea to the leaders. The party leaders should give priority to the party workers instead of watching the interests of the sycophants, opportunists and the pseudo self-styled leaders who are often seen humming around the party office for the loaves and fishes. The party MLAs should be warned against the nefarious and treacherous designs of the coalition partner lest the coalition with PDP should prove a Trojan horse for the BJP.
