Forget IAS, even UP8217;s Home Guards take sides in politics

LUCKNOW, JULY 5: Can you believe it? A group of Home Guards held a meeting here recently and unanimously decided that they would extend full support to beleaguered Chief Minister RP Gupta. They also threatened that the party leadership would have to face their ire if Gupta was removed. In the corridors of power, a section of Thakur IAS officers is actively lobbying in favour of Rajnath Singh and mobilising 8220;like-minded8221; people to put pressure on the leadership to replace Gupta with Singh in the 8220;larger interest of the party8221;.

8220;This is unprecedented. I am surprised the groups which should not have any concern on the incumbency of the CM are lobbying for particular persons. A group of Home Guards extending support to Gupta and section of IAS officials to Singh are events which reflect the fluid political situation of the state,8221; commented a senior BJP functionary. The party8217;s central leadership cannot escape the blame for the state of affairs in the BJP because senior leaders are making statements indicating a likely change of leadership in the state at regular intervals and these play an incendiary role.

The nucleus of the party8217;s state leadership, on its part, is not trying to show any sign of mutual differences and are holding regular meetings where decisions on various issues are taken collectively. Antipathy to Rajnath Singh among leaders of the state has played the role of a bond which has united all of them. This factor has resulted in advantage to the 8220;weak8221; and 8220;helpless8221; CM.

8220;It is our achievement that on one issue all the state leaders are speaking in one voice,8221; said Ram Prakash Gupta, happy with the TINA There Is No Alternative factor which is prolonging his tenure to the chair despite serious brooding in the party8217;s central leadership that his continuance would weaken the party .

The party leadership is also concerned over weakening grip of BJP on the formidable vote bank of Backwards and Dalits who together form 55 per cent of the total electorate. Kalyan Singh, till he remained with the BJP, had managed to win support from Backwards because of being a Lodh himself and now with his departure the party has no prominent leader who can ensure support of this lot.