Nagpur: The recent development on political front shows that the city unit of BSP is a divided house. The party leadership is being slammed for adopting double standards when it comes to key decisions. For example, in the very first General Body Meeting of new NMC regime, BSP authorised the Mayor to appoint its quota member on the high-profile committee for Smart City project. On the other hand, BSP’s indecisive leadership allowed BJP-Congress a ‘hands shake’ in the elections to the posts of Zonal Chairpersons. The post was robbed from the party which did not hesitate to call BJP-Congress ‘mask’ of RSS.
Commenting on the fracas in the General Body Meeting where the BSP leader authorised the Mayor to appoint its quota member on the high-profile committee for Smart City project, the party Corporators said they smelled a ‘secret pact’ between the ruling party and the leader for ‘personal gains.’ However, the BSP Group Leader Mohd Jamal has come out with a different story. He says that he was in the understanding that the appointment of a BSP member on the committee would be decided by the Mayor/ruling party after taking him into confidence. “But, it seems, my authority was usurped deceitfully,” Jamal said.
Mohd Jamal also said that in the election to the post of Chairperson of Ashinagar Zone the two major parties – BJP and Congress—the arch rivals, “shook hands” with only purpose of defeating BSP candidate. “BSP had not solicited support of Congress. The party had on its own had given a word on support to BSP. But keeping us in the dark, the Congress, without withdrawing its candidate, surprisingly extended support, except Sandeep Sahare, to BJP candidate and thus ensured her victory. BJP won the post of Chairperson despite being in minority. The Congress had ‘assured’ support to BSP on the understanding that two parties would share the post for two and half year tenure. With this understanding, Congress had sought BSP support in Mangalwari Zone,” Jamal stated.
“But in Mangalwari Zone, the developments left us stunned. Congress withdrew its candidate at the last minute leading to BJP candidate getting elected unopposed. It was a game-plan of Congress to defeat BSP candidate. The BSP has got well established in city as well as district. 10 Corporators of the party have got elected in the just-concluded NMC poll without any party’s support.
However, the BSP Corporators are disillusioned with party’s leadership in the wake of the developments. They see the party Group Leader is dancing to the tunes of the ruling party for personal gains round the year. At the same time, the party Corporators are being sidelined systematically in day to day affairs.
Ironically, at the height of ‘Aapli Bus’ strike hitting commuters hard, the BSP leadership maintained a ‘radio silence’ and did not utter a single word in public interest.
