BJP in crisis: Shanta loyalists,state chief in Delhi on Gadkari’s call

Just after senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar lodged a complaint with BJP president Nitin Gadkari against cabinet minister Ravinder Ravi,whose role in Kangra had sparked protests among Shanta loyalists’,the party on Friday summoned BJP state chief Satpal Satti to Delhi.

During the day,two ministers — Krishan Kapoor and Ramesh Dhawala — who were also called to the BJP headquarters in Delhi held three rounds of talks with party general secretary J P Nadda to resolve their differences with Ravi.

The talks with Nadda and Shayam Jaju (BJP co-incharge) were prelude to their meeting with Gadkari,which was held later in the evening. Satti and party’s organisational in-charge Ram Lal assisted Nadda break the ice between the cabinet ministers belonging to Shanta and Dhumal camps.

A senior BJP leader admitted that things were not well in the state and could cause an adverse impact on the party’s prospects in the assembly elections. The district unit of BJP in Kangra – state’s biggest district with 15 assembly constituencies,has already passed a resolution demanding removal of Ravi,who is under fire for his alleged attempts to undermine the status of Shanta Kumar

During his last visit to Nahan,Gadkari had suggested Shanta Kumar to drop at least three ministers,including Bindal and Ravi,from the cabinet.

A formula that the party seems to have been working on for some days include asking Bindal to quit and take-up organisational work before the elections.