RSS steps in to fix rift in Madhya Pradesh BJP

Bhopal: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has taken serious note of factionalism in Madhya Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that apparently had led to ‘shocking’ development of July 24 in which two party MLAs openly declared their support to the Kamal Nath government.

Three senior RSS leaders, Krushna Gopal, Suresh Soni and Bhaiyyaji Joshi, are scheduled to camp in the state for four days till August 6 to attend various programmes.

They are also scheduled to interact with leaders and workers of Bharatiya Janata Party in MP during their stay here to take stock of the situation in the wake of reports of growing factionalism in the party, a senior RSS functionary disclosed to this newspaper.

The three RSS leaders are also scheduled to attend a coordination committee meeting of the Sangh and BJP  on August 5 to deliberate on wide ranging issues particularly the current state of affairs in the party in MP.

The Madhya Pradesh BJP was said to have broadly four factions, each led by former chief minister and national party vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state party president Rakesh Singh, Leader of Opposit-ion in MP Assembly Gopal Bhargav and former minister Nar-ottam Mishra respectvely.

The party in the state was divided over the growing demand among a section of BJP here to dislodge the Kamal Nath government by forcing it to face a floor test in the Assembly. While Mr Chouhan was against the proposal to force Kamal Nath government to face a floor test, other leaders in the party backed it.

On July 24, two rebel BJP MLAs, Narayan Tripathy and Sharad Kol, voted for a treasury bench sponsored Bill in the house.

On July 24, two rebel BJP MLAs, Narayan Tripathy and Sharad Kol, voted for a treasury bench sponsored bill in the house, leaving BJP leaders shell-shocked.

Ruling Congress which has strength of 114 in the 230-member MP Assembly has a wafer-thin majority in the house and formed the government in the state with support from two BSP MLAs, one SP legislator and four Independents.

BJP currently has 108 MLAs. Sources said the new national organisation secretary of BJP B.L. Santoshi who was said to be seriously upset over the July 24 development, was also likely to attend the August 5 meeting.

Sources said the RSS was worried over growing infighting in BJP in MP and was of the view that the ruling Congress was taking advantage of it to run its ‘minority’ government in the state.