‘At the next available opportunity, the party may form its government in the state’.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party is awaiting an auspicious time to make announcement for its new organisational set up. The onset of Covid-19 pandemic and the China crisis have delayed the entire process as the government and party focus has shifted to crisis management. As and when changes happen, no major rejig is expected in the organisation. Some department heads are likely to be replaced.
BJP president J.P. Nadda had sent the list of his team to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Amit Shah for final nod in March, but due to onset of the corona pandemic, no decision could be taken. The party president again initiated the process, but the China crisis became an impediment in the process.
As soon as the top leaders give their nod, the announcements would be made, sources say.
But due to the ongoing situation it is difficult to say when this is going to happen. Nadda is likely to accommodate leaders from the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Sources say the party president had identified his new team soon after taking over as the party president. It was decided during the brainstorming that some faces from the organisation could be given an opportunity in the Modi Cabinet. And new faces from the states would be brought into the party organization.
In these changes some faces from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and were supposed to be brought in to Delhi. Just when this was being done, the government focus shifted to the corona crisis management rather than Cabinet expansion. Lockdown followed soon after and the process was put on the back-burner. Finding ways of coming out of the medical and economic crisis became everybody’s priority.
After the relaxation in the lockdown, the party started taking some decisions, appointments were made in some states. Meetings for changes in the party’s central organizational set up were also held. Nadda also discussed this with PM Modi and Amit Shah with the focus on Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Sources say BJP is now eyeing a prospect in the tug-of-war in Shiv Sena led Maharashtra government. Congress, while being in the government, is sticking its neck out. That’s why the BJP is thinking on the lines of bringing in some faces from Maharashtra into the Modi Cabinet and party organization, so that at the next available opportunity, BJP may form its government in the state.
Efforts are also on to bring some faces from Madhya Pradesh to Delhi so that the tug-of-war within the party could subside. Just when this was being put into action, the Chinese crisis delayed the process. At present, the government and party’s thrust is on dealings with the impending crisis. In such a situation, even the changes within the party set-up are likely to be notional.
There are indications that some appointments would be made in the poll-bound states and the rest implementation could wait for an appropriate time. There are murmurs that now that Rajya Sabha elections are over, changes in the party could be made next week. However, there is no confirmation yet.