Nagpur News.
The day BJP anointed its star campaigner Narendra Modi as the party’s prime ministerial candidate, he has enlarged his stature far beyond the leaders of his level. A stark example of Modi’s changed gesture surfaced from his changed equation with former BJP President Nitin Gadkari. Of late, Modi has been reportedly sidelining Gadkari when it comes to showing the latter’s political might. The contrast to this effect was obvious in the recent matter pertaining to picking up one of the Lok Sabha candidates in Bihar. While Gadkari wanted his close aide to be given ticket from certain seat but sources said that Modi did not show any support for the concerned candidate.
Political analysts have often written about Gadkari’s diminishing stature in his party ever since he was relieved from the party’s top post.
Sources revealed that when Gadkari who is party’s election incharge of Bihar visited Patna, he reportedly considered his close aide Arun Kumar Singh for fielding him as party’s candidate from Munger Lok Sabha seat in Bihar. He even sent Singh along with Ashok Dhote, a party leader from Nagpur to meet Modi. The purpose of Singh’s meeting with Modi was to affirm former’s claim for Munger Lok Sabha seat. However, sources said Modi was reluctant to seal Gadkari’s choice of candidate and showed door to Arun Kumar Singh. In the spate of events, Modi even refused to meet 8-9 former and present MPs of the party.
Sources informed that when Arun Kumar Singh arrived in Nagpur from Munger in 1980-83 he had no job and stayed with his brother-in-law who is working in WCL. In a span of 30 years, he earned reputation as PWD, MOIL and mining contractor. Singh also exposed his social aspect and played up his political interest in the company of leaders like Babasaheb Kedar, Ranjit Deshmukh and Nitin Gadkari. At present, he is reportedly in Gadkari’s fold. Taking advantage of his closeness with Gadkari,Singh staked his claim for Munger seat. Gadkari also agreed to his demand and sent him to Modi who categorically turned him down. After Modi’s refusal now questions are not only being raised at disturbed Modi-Gadkari equation but also over Gadkari’s choice of candidate. A poll expert puts up, “On what basis ticket has been demanded for Singh from Munger seat. What he has done for BJP or Munger?”
NIT Trustee gives a damn
The slashing impact of Gadkari in his own bastion was evident when BJP’s NIT Trustee Chhotu Bhoyar ignored the words from Gadkari who had recently sent a letter to Bhoyar. Despite Gadkari’s request being all fair in party’s interest Bhoyar did not honour his directives. Through his letter Gadkari had asked him to focus more on people-oriented works in South Nagpur. But Bhoyar, even after a month of dilly-dallying, did not budge.
Gadkari backs outsiders
In turn, Gadkari has been reportedly ignoring the party loyalists and preferring ‘big fat’ outsiders to shower plum posts on them. Insiders informed that he holds the record of sorts in allotting most beneficial posts to non-BJP powerful leaders like Ajay Sancheti, Ashok Dhote, Nana Shamkule, Sudhakar Deshmukh, Krishna Khopde, Vikas Kumbhare, Mitesh Bhangdia, Rajesh Tambe, Arunkumar Singh, Sunil Agrawal, Ramesh Singare, and others. The party boasts of a troop of more hardworking and loyal workers and leaders than the above-mentioned leaders. But they are merely working on party’s petty jobs. The long list includes names of Girish Vyas, Sandeep Joshi, Pravin Datke, Subhash Aparajit, Dayashankar Tiwari and others.
