Despite concerns, BJP inducts 9 rebel MLAs

Notwithstanding the concerns and reservations of its Uttarakhand unit, the BJP on Wednesday inducted the nine Congress rebels, including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, in the saffron fold. Hours after the party’s state core group expressed serious concern over its sliding political fortunes in the wake of Congress’s Harish Rawat winning the Supreme Court-monitored floor test and forcing the Centre to revoke the President’s Rule from the hill state, nine Congress rebels joined the BJP. These nine MLAs were earlier disqualified by the Assembly Speaker and then disallowed by the apex court to participate in the floor test.

Their induction was done despite the BJP state unit warning that it could adversely impact its electoral fortune in the state and hurt the party’s supporters. Assembly elections in Uttarakhand are scheduled early in 2017.

These nine rebels and the BJP MLAs had voted against the Appropriation bill during the state’s Budget Session in March, after which the Centre had termed Harish Rawat’s government in minority. There were allegations and counter-allegations of “horsetrading.”

BJP’s own ally Shiv Sena had joined the Oppositions in criticising it while calling the earlier Constitutional crisis in the state as the “Death of democracy”. The Sena had also warned the BJP that its “desire for single-party rule is more dangerous than emergency and dictatorship.” While there were rumours that another Congress MLA, other than the nine rebels, could join the saffron party, she might do it a latter stage.

Earlier, senior Uttarkhand leaders, including former chief ministers B.C. Khanduri, B.S. Koshiyari and Ramesh Pokhriyal besides state unit chief Ajay Bhatt and party’s state in-charge Shyama Jaju, held a meeting with party president Amit Shah.

In this meeting the state leaders, sources disclosed, were asked about the feedback as well as their views on Congress rebels joining the saffron fold.

State leaders, it was learnt, told the party high command that taking support of the Congress rebels in an attempt to dislodge the Harish Rawat government, has sent a “very negative” message. Also, a perception has been built that it was a “deliberate attempt” by the BJP and the BJP led Central government to first create a Constitutional crisis and then impose the President’s Rule.

On their views on Congress rebels induction, state leaders told the party high command that Mr Shah should take the final call as they were not consulted earlier when the state was “forced to go through the Constitutional crisis.”

Also, a majority section within the BJP’s state unit were are not in favour of Congress rebels joing the party as they feel it would impact the equation in constituencies, which the nine Congress rebels had represented. BJP state unit also feel that it would also add to factionalism as party’s “own leaders” are also vying for a ticket for the coming assembly elections in constituencies the Congress rebels represented. BJP state cadre is also concerned that while they had been campaigning against these very Congrees rebels, now they will have to seek support for them. There is also a concern that inducting senior Congress rebels would only itensify the fight for the chief minister’s post within the saffron party.