BLUNT BUTCHER
JAMMU: Suspense over the formation of government, in the wake of the demise of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, has activated all the self-seekers in Bharatiya Janata Party to project themselves as larger than their life. Courtesy social media, especially WhatsApp, the under-dogs have not only elevated themselves but also got assigned coveted portfolios.
It started in the wee hours, when a former (the term’ former’ must be paining them all who were till yesterday all important ministers) minister got a message about his being very close to Mufti Mohammed Sayeed circulated on various WhatsApp groups. No sooner the post touched the touch-pads of early risers, speculations started pouring in. And, then a complete list of the cabinet got flashed with portfolios, even as the likely Chief Minister designate was still in a state of trauma due to personal loss. To the astonishment of one and all, the list figured more outsiders than the Members of Legislative Assembly. This too was a ploy to keep the ‘dropped’ ministers engaged in seeking their retention rather than raising voices against the perpetrators of the beneficiaries who managed dispatch of motivated messages.
The tail-piece of all this entire’social media’ drama turned out that a ‘former’ minister who doesn’t enjoy the support of even a single legislator of the BJP or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh using the cover of Mufti Sayeed to emerge as dark-horse during the making of rechristened government. What to speak of legislators, not a common BJP worker maintains any rapport with him. Anyways, the manipulated messages created ripples among the BJP ministers, some of whom stood dropped in the ‘manipulated’ Whatsaap list. One or two amongst them acted hysterically to get the ‘vicious’ campaign stopped and in the process got exposed, as during the past ten months they had lost connect with Swayamsevaks and the BJP cadre.
The BJP camp, on the contrary, unsuccessfully grappled with getting the suspense over the formation of government ended by expediting the swearing-in ceremony, reason being the damage caused by ineffective and non-performing lot which has distanced the saffron squad from the masses. The omission and commissions committed by some of the erstwhile ministers is weighing heavily on the top BJP brass while framing up the list to be handed over to the incumbent Chief Minister in a day or so. The BJP is seizing this opportunity to refurbish its image by bringing in a promising lot to combat the damage caused by non-performers and self seekers.
Getting inkling of the massive pruning, the ‘former’ ministers and some ‘out of ministry’ legislators of the BJP have intensified lobbying, by putting on stake all the ‘prowess’ at their command to retain the ministry or get a birth in the upcoming Council of Ministry. The last laugh on BJP’s frustration lies with PDP, which is keeping the political actors and analysts in huge guess.
