MP BJP chief may have to quit over bypoll disaster

Bhopal: BJP’s loss of Mungaoli and Kolaras assembly by-elections, results of which were declared on Wednesday, has revived dissidence in the ruling party with some senior saffron leaders openly criticising chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s style of functioning.

The party’s debacle in the two byelections, coming close on the heels of loss of bypolls to Chitrakoot and Ater Assembly seats held in a gap of six months last year, has also sparked speculations of change of state party chief Nand Kumar Singh Chouhan, believed to be protégé of the chief minister. Barely a day after BJP had to bite the dust in the Mungaoli and Kolaras assembly byelections losing both the seats to its traditional rival Congress, senior party leaders, Babulal Gaur and Sartaj Singh who were thrown out of Shivraj Singh Chouhan Cabinet under the pretext of crossing seventy years of age, virtually questioned the chief minister’s capability to deliver as a leader as well as chief minister of the state. “Electorates in Mungaoli and Kolaras assembly constituencies have refused to believe the promise made by the chief minister during his campaign to ensure development in their areas in just five months. People had started saying that if no development could take place during the 14-year-rule of BJP government in the state, how could it be done in five months,” septuagenarian leader and former chief minister Babulal Gaur said. Another senior BJP leader and former minister Sartaj Singh said the outcome of byelections clearly indicated growing anger among the people against the state BJP government.

Meanwhile, the loss of the two byelections has revived the speculation of change of MP BJP president ahead of year-end Assembly elections in the state.

The change of state party president has been on air for long in the wake of loss of four consecutive assembly byelections by the party in past eight months.

A senior BJP leader also did not rule out possibility of replacement of the incumbent state BJP chief.

“If it at all happens, it has nothing to with loss of the recently by-elections by BJP,” he said, adding, “BJP does not consider loss in Mungaoli and Kolaras as a setback for the party.”