Clueless in UP

The Bharatiya Janata Party's main adversary in Uttar Pradesh is the BJP. Until a strong and united leadership emerges, of which there is n...

The Bharatiya Janata Party8217;s main adversary in Uttar Pradesh is the BJP. Until a strong and united leadership emerges, of which there is no sign as yet, that is likely to remain the state of play to the detriment of the work of government.

The truth of this was demonstrated once again by two dramatic developments this week, the Kalraj Mishra affair and the revolt against Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta by 50 BJP MLAs. The drama surrounding the accusations of corruption made in the House against Mishra, who is public works department minister and one of the BJP8217;s most senior leaders, could have been avoided.

It has done nothing to improve the credibility of the government. After making contradictory statements in his own defence, Mishra caught everyone by surprise by resigning from the cabinet but was promptly declared blameless by the chief minister. The public can be forgiven for wondering what the whole tamasha was about.

Such displays of injured innocence and stout support from colleagues are common enough in state legislatures. But they do not necessarily inspire confidence. In fact, the drama has led to speculation about Mishra8217;s political motives. In the hands of a firm leader, the matter would have been dealt with straightforwardly with the chief minister assuring the House that unfounded accusations would not be tolerated but if there was a prima facie case of corruption, a full investigation would be ordered.

He needs furthermore to assert in the House that all ministers will be held accountable for their actions. There is no need for dramatics which tend to cloud the issues. Gupta8217;s handling of this affair leaves much to be desired. It remains to be seen how he deals with rebellious party legislators who are not only calling for his head but for early Assembly elections. If he is unable by a combination of the carrot and stick to quell this revolt quickly, the BJP will be back exactly where it was in Kalyan Singh8217;s last months, making a spectacle of its indiscipline and incompetence and inviting public ridicule.

It is possible to sympathise to some extent with Gupta in his plight. He was plucked from retirement and made a stopgap chief minister in order to save the BJP in a moment of crisis. Perhaps the central leadership8217;s error of judgment lay in thinking they could leave unresolved the power struggles within the state unit of the party which were responsible for so much of the mess during Kalyan Singh8217;s tenure. From cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election and other signs of disloyalty to allegations of corruption flying in all directions, the BJP does not present a pretty picture. And the image of a party falling out with itself and its leaders is harming the government.

The sooner the BJP8217;s central leaders get a grip on the situation the better. It may be wiser from all points of view, from that of the people of the state as well as the party itself, to go to the polls early. Prolonged instability makes it doubtful whether difficult economic decisions that need to be taken will be taken.