BJP goes on offensive after Simaria debacle

BJP goes on offensive after Simaria debacle
Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi RANCHI Wednesday, February 13, 2008

After remaining silent for a week after the defeat of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate in Simaria, the party leadership is now trying to resume an attacking posture against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Arjun Munda, leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, tried to inject fresh blood in the rank and file of the party workers in a rally of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) at Madhukam, Ranchi. However, the party is more defensive rather than offensive this time. It has not come out and still under a state of shock after its humiliating defeat in the Simaria by-election. The party leadership is doing 'atma manthan' (instrospection) to find the reason for the failure of the party but at the same time is trying to reconcile with this defeat. However, even on Tuesday no top leaders of the party are ready to provide any concrete reason for the loss of their face in Simaria, nor they accept that the this defeat had any impact on the morale of the party. But, the top leaders of the party accept that the party became marginalised in the State politics after this election and they needed to strengthen the party. The top priority of the party at present is to stop any possible poaching by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) whose president Babulal Marandi has openly challenged the BJP to take action against MLAs sympathetic to the JVM. The defeat has started an internal squabbling in the party over the issue of leadership. According to sources, a section of party is blaming a top leader of the BJP for this defeat and questioned the much hyped pad yatra of Yasvant Sinha. This is also said that the talk of a non-tribal Chief Minister by some of the leaders of BJP polarised the traditional tribal vote banks of BJP in favour of JVM, which went against the party. The party has changed its strategy and henceforth it would prefer to project the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) responsible for the misrule in the State. It has found a weapon in the form of the soft stand of the Minister of State for Urban Development and observer of the State Congress Ajay Maken on the issue of support to the Madhu Koda Government. It is banking more upon the internal difference of UPA. The party is calculating a possible rupture in the relations of the Congress and the RJD in the near future which they think would help BJP to expose UPA in the State. The party is also carefully watching the proposed induction of Sibu Soren into the Central Cabinet which they hope unfold a political drama in the State.