Punjab BJP chief says it on Facebook: ‘Jai ho NaMo,NaMo’
State BJP chief Kamal Sharma,however,has chosen to lavish his praise on Modi through Facebook.
Senior leader LK Advani’s resignation seems to have muted the “celebrations” planned by Punjab BJP to hail Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s elevation as chairman of the BJP Lok Sabha poll campaign committee. State BJP chief Kamal Sharma,however,has chosen to lavish his praise on Modi through Facebook.
Sharma’s Facebook page starts with a picture of Modi with a victory sign,a four-line couplet and “Jai Ho,aj itihas ka sakshi bana NaMo,NaMo (Today NaMo has created history)”. A protege of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha,Arun Jaitley,Sharma makes no bones about who his loyalties are with. His Facebook account has several pictures of Jaitley,including one of Jaitley with former BJP president Nitin Gadkari.
While Sharma has said it on Facebook,the many districts and block units of the party on Tuesday issued advertisements in newspapers hailing Modi’s elevation.
Sources in the BJP said the advertisements were given a go-ahead on Monday evening even as a storm brewed within the party over Advani’s
resignation.
Incidentally,there are more Modi sympathisers in the new guard of the state BJP. The old guard,including former state president Ashwani Sharma,are known to be close to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha,Sushma Swaraj,and Advani.
When contacted,Fazilka district president Sitaram Sharma said all 33 district presidents were asked to issue advertisements and celebrate Modi’s elevation. “Each and every district has issued ads and held celebrations to welcome Modi. Advani is the party patriarch and all BJP workers want him to take back his resignation and continue to guide us. But the party has chosen Modi to lead us in the Lok Sabha polls and the celebrations were held to hail the decision,” he said.
The new team headed by Sharma has his confidant Tarun Chugh,a ABVP leader,as the general secretary. Others holding important positions — Rajinder Chinna and Subhash Sharma — too owe their allegiance to the new order in BJP. Party insiders feel that with Modi at helm,most leaders in Punjab BJP hitherto close to other factions,are likely to switch loyalties to Modi.
According to political analysts,Punjab BJP may regain some of its lost assertiveness with Modi’s elevation. With BJP’s seats down by seven from last elections and SAD later mustering its own majority in Assembly,party’s clout in the alliance has been dwindling. Sharma had come under fire even from his own partymen for toeing the SAD line and keeping mum on core issues BJP is opposed to — from SAD supporting clemency for Balwant Singh Rajoana to Bluestar Memorial.
BJP president Kamal Sharma could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
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