Infighting led to party’s poor show in polls,admits BJP core panel

According to leaders who attended the meeting,many complained about their own partymen campaigning for the AAP. These leaders were told that action would be taken against such party workers.

“A committee will be formed and members will visit each constituency. They will issue showcause notices to those who worked against the party candidate. If a rebel cannot explain his/her action,then he/she may face suspension,” a senior BJP leader said.

The BJP CM candidate Harsh Vardhan was absent from the core committee meeting. A source close to Harsh Vardhan said he was “out of town”.

Senior leaders said MLAs have been asked to dig out dirt on AAP candidates in their respective areas. Leaders said the party has started work on bringing out the “true credentials of AAP candidates in each area”.

“Everyone accepted that they had underestimated AAP before the elections. But more than that,they realised it was their own partymen who channelised votes to the AAP,” another leader said.

MLAs also blamed corporations for not supporting them in development works. Standing committee chairperson (North Corporation) Ram Kishan Singhal,who is also an MLA,had a heated argument with MLA Kulwant Rana over the functioning of the corporation.

It was analysed that the group housing society votes had gone to the AAP because sitting MLAs had failed to get development work done in societies.

Gadkari’s ambitious scheme of door-to-door campaigning and booth management too had failed this elections.

“We based our success in elections on reaching out to voters booth-wise,but the workers on the field failed to deliver,” a BJP leader said.

Sources said BJP leaders Jagdish Mukhi,Vijay Jolly and Vijay Goel reportedly pressured Gadkari about announcing the Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi soon. A decision regarding this is likely to be taken during the parliamentary committee meeting on December 24.