Friday, May 14, 2010


Non-political people guiding Gadkari, says Marandi


Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi


JVM chief Babulal Marandi sits calmly in his official bungalow with bifocals low on the ridge of his nose; bit quizzical about ‘his BJP’and ‘this BJP,’ the party he left some years back. He talked to The Pioneer on Thursday and the discourse soon meandered from current political impasse in Jharkhand and finally rammed the BJP house undecided over the fate of alliance and power sharing with the JMM.


“Dekhiye BJP matisunya ho gayi hai, (See BJP is mentally blank.)” Marandi questions the very wisdom of BJP national president Nitin Gadkari to announce withdrawal of support to the Shibu Soren Government only to take it back.

“Gadkariji is guided by non-political people, perhaps. There must be some non political persons around him who might have influenced him to change his mind. They could be anybody,” he does not name, “corporate honcho, his friends anybody.”

Not ready to subscribe the stated logic of the BJP to withhold the withdrawal of support to the Soren Government twice within two days in the past; Marandi argued that the BJP Parliamentary Board must have discussed pros and cons before taking such a decision.

Biggest part of the blame Marandi put on Gadkari. “I believe Gadkari must have some soft corners for those who influenced or persuaded him to change the decision of the party parliamentary board,” he said.

Marandi sounded BJP, the second largest party after the Congress, “Your decision will ruin the country and the party. If Gadkari can not think about his party he should at least think about the country.”

In 2003, when Marandi was with the BJP he had advised the party to sit in the Opposition rather to compromise to form Government. And after seven years Marandi believes the BJP has been repeating same mistake to stay in the power somehow and said that even if the BJP forms Government it will be short-lived bereft of the trust of the people.

“Soren offered unconditional apology after voting. But BJP was in hurry to announce withdrawal of support…later on it found it an opportunity to unseat Soren to grab power. Everybody knew Soren is not going to contest election…BJP could have got the CM post without loosing its face. Soren could have been convinced for a decent
departure,” Marandi said.

“Alas,” Marandi said, “everybody is pocking fun at Soren now,” as though he is paying tribute to end of Soren’s political life whom he considers the tallest tribal leader of Jharkhand.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/255812/Non-political-people-guiding-Gadka...