Simmering discontent plagues Gujarat BJP

Simmering discontent plagues Gujarat BJP
DARSHAN DESAI

GANDHINAGAR, APRIL 3: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) first rode to power in Gujarat in 1995, with a tall promise to present the State a rule devoid of fear, hunger and corruption. Five years on, corruption has become a major issue against the party while serious discontent is brewing among MLAs and ministers over thelacklustre performance of the Keshubhai Patel Government.

The signature campaign launched against Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel lastweek may have fizzled out for the time being, thanks to quick fire-fighting by the BJP leaders. A similar situation had developed some months ago, but was once again diffused by some last-minute efforts. Such movements peter outsoon after they start for the dissidents do not have an aggressive leader. But the discontent continues to simmer, taking a heavy toll on the party's already sagging image. Animated meetings of dissidents continue at the ministerial enclave and it will be no surprise if dissension erupts all over again.

A few days ago, Industries Minister Suresh Mehta, who has been completelysidelined by the Chief Minister, resigned in a huff as the guardian minister for Kutch. Mehta has been pacified temporarily, but he is still angry. He refuses to divulge the exact reason for his resignation, but it is an open secret that Mehta is being isolated and he increasingly feels that the mess-up in the earthquake relief work is a deliberate ploy to give him a bad name.

What gives credence to this is that the Chief Minister has been giving more play to Mehta's political adversary, Speaker Dhirubhai Shah, who is also from Kutch. One instance of this is Patel's recent visit to Mumbai to raise funds from the Kutchis settled there for quake relief. He took Dhirubhai Shah along and did not even inform Mehta about it.

When the BJP Government crashed under its own weight in 1995, the fall was blamed on some partymen's blind ambition. The issues raised then during the Shankersinh Vaghela revolt were left simmering, as the party once again romped home in 1998 saddling Keshubhai Patel on power. Again, in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP walked away with 20 of the 26 seats.

In the absence of a challenge to the BJP as the Congress got decimated and demoralised, arrogance set in the Patel Government as the rulers basked in the opulence of brute power. The first signal that the party was losing touchwith the ground, after raising a high hope, came from its shocking debacle inthe elections to the six municipal corporations and the panchayats.

If the 1995 revolt that shook the BJP across the country was attributed to the ambition of Shankersinh Vaghela, the debacle in the civic elections was squarely blamed on the functioning of the Patel Government and the BJP leadership in the State. The same issue that Vaghela raised during his revolt, irrespective of his power politics, continue to be relevant and crop up very often.

He had stated that in his arrogance, Patel was ignoring the aspirations of the legislators and party workers who had to run from pillar to post for important works of their constituency. Vaghela had accused Keshubhai of centralising everything in himself and his coterie, including his son-in-law Mayur Desai. He had also accused Patel of being inefficient.

Similar issues are being raised now in the launching of the signature campaign against Patel. With the government losing its face as it messed up the earthquake relief operations, the party legislators are gettingrestless. ``How do I handle the hostile atmosphere in my constituency ?'' asks a senior dissident leader. ``By delaying decisions on vital issues of relocation of the quake-ravaged towns, the Chief Minister is making it all the more difficult for us to face the crowds,'' he says, wishing anonymity.