NEW DELHI, 20 August — Anxious to regain power in the country’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh (UP), where assembly polls are expected in February, but elections could be held earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun using its political cards. The burden of the party’s fate in UP rests on Home Minister L.K. Advani’s shoulder and not of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Advani initiated his campaign in the state this week on Saturday by undertaking a daylong visit to the state capital Lucknow. Sources indicate, Advani may prove to be a hard taskmaster for BJP and its associates.
During his visit, he clearly laid out that he expects the BJP members to display unity during the campaign. They, according to Advani, have no other option. He also strictly apprised the state party leaders about image of politicians seeking elections. Only those politicians who have a “clean” image would be granted electoral tickets.
The formula of “buying” tickets or bribing one’s way into the assembly would not be permitted. Advani’s this strategy has created a scare in the BJP’s state unit.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday said State Power Minister Naresh Agarwal was sacked not because of allegations of graft against him or the dismal electricity supply scenario but his irresponsible utterances.
Agarwal, the chief of the Loktantrik Congress Party (LCP), was shown the door on Aug. 10. He had over the previous weeks angered many in the BJP, which leads the state’s ruling coalition, by criticizing the chief minister’s policies and blaming him for the power situation in the state. The state is in the grip of an unprecedented power crisis, with outages of over 12 hours becoming common in many areas.
“I dismissed him (Agarwal) because his statements indicated that he has no respect (for) the bond with which allies are associated with the BJP government,” Rajnath told The Indian Express newspaper. “Not because the power scene was threatening to become a major embarrassment to my government.”
“Naresh was not sacked because of charges of corruption,” Rajnath added. “His conduct was becoming violative of constitutional propriety, ministerial ethics and norms of coalition politics.”
Agarwal had, while serving as minister, threatened to “expose” several irregularities in government schemes. Rajnath’s request to him to refrain from making such statements in public fell on deaf ears.
The chief minister refused to confirm whether his government would order an inquiry into the allegations of corruption against Agarwal, who had split the Congress to help the BJP form a coalition government after the 1996 elections.
Political analysts view Agarwal’s sacking as one of many moves Rajnath has made to boost his government’s image ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The state is scheduled to go to the polls in February, but elections could be held earlier.
Among several sops Rajnath has been handing out is a promise to fix a quota of jobs for the most economically and socially backward among the underprivileged communities.
There is already a provision of job reservation for socially disadvantaged scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs).
