BJP divided on Kirti Azad, may take call on January 10

The BJP is likely to decide the fate of its suspended MP Kirti Azad by the end of this week when the party’s disciplinary committee is to take up the matter. The party had last week issued a showcause notice to Mr Azad asking him why he should not be expelled for indulging in “anti-party activities” and indiscipline. The committee is likely to meet on January 10. The BJP’s highest decision-making body, parliamentary board, is also likely to meet next week, which had earlier taken the decision to suspend Mr Azad.

A faction within the party is in favour of expelling the Darbhanga MP for trying to malign the party’s image and that of senior leader and Union minister Arun Jaitley by raking up the issue of alleged financial irregularities in the DDCA. Both the Congress and the AAP have been demanding Mr Jaitley’s resignation over the issue. However, another section within the party are against his expulsion.

BJP veterans like L.K. Advani, M.M. Joshi, Shanta Kumar and Yashwant Sinha, are apparently miffed over the way the issue was handled by the party. Mr Azad, who has also sought an appointment with the Prime Minister over the issue, has been reiterating that he had been raising the issue for the past nine years and never had named Mr Jaitley, who was then heading the Delhi cricket body.

Other than the party’s Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha and senior leader Subramanian Swamy, no one from the BJP has supported Mr Azad. A section within the BJP also wants action against Mr Sinha for questioning the party’s decisions and going against the party line on several issues.

Coming out in full support of his fellow MP, Mr Sinha on Tuesday opposed his party’s decision to suspend Mr Azad and claimed a wrong message has been sent as the perception is that the Darbhanga MP was fighting against corruption. Asking the party leadership to revoke Mr Azad’s suspension, Mr Sinha described the fellow MP “a worthy son of a worthy father” and also supported the party veterans. Mr Sinha’s biography Anything but Khamosh is being released by Mr Advani on Wednesday.