BJP pacifies rebels, miffed old-timers

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is still trying to pacify its rebels. According to party leaders, the BJP is worried that rebels in the BMC elections may spoil their chances, as many of the rebels are old party workers.

One such worker who has fielded his wife claimed that he is still being pressured by the BJP leadership to not go ahead with the campaigning. Even the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) workers seem miffed with the BJP for choosing ‘Laxmiputra’ well-moneyed candidates over original party workers. The BJP is persuading the RSS cadre to help them ahead of the civic polls.

Viral Shah, a former officer bearer of the Mumbai BJP’s north-east district, has fielded his candidate from Mulund as a rebel. He claims that till today he’s under pressure from senior BJP leaders to stop his campaign. “Top BJP leaders are continuously calling and asking me to withdraw my wife from contesting the elections, but then I have now decided to go ahead,” said Mr Shah, who is considered to be close to the local MLA Sardar Tara Singh from Mulund.

In several areas, senior BJP leaders and the RSS cadre are not happy with the choice of the candidates the party is fielding for the forthcoming civic polls.

A senior party functionary, said, “Many old timers are upset that, this time tickets are being given to ‘laxmiuputras’ over original party workers. The old timers are the one, who know the wards and drag voters to the polling booth. Hence, these people become more important.”

Attracting community leaders is one more thing that the party is focussing its strength on. The BJP leaders have asked their local cadre to find out community leaders, who influence voters in their favour.