UP’s Gupta survives to fight another day

The party leadership is concerned over the reverses the BJP has suffered ever since the last Lok Sabha elections, the latest being the humiliating defeat in the Soron Assembly by-election, and the disenchantment of the cadres with Gupta’s leadership. However, it put on hold a decision either way till June 24 when the panchayat elections would be completed.

"It was only a stock-taking exercise," Govindacharya told The Indian Express after the meeting. The meeting, according to those who attended it, was not convened to discuss the issue of leadership change specifically.

"I was appointed by the party high command and I am working with their backing," the Chief Minister told reporters after the meeting. "There is no talk about change of guard in the State at any level. The topic was not discussed at the meeting," he added.

Asked if the central leadership had given him an assurance on his continuance, Gupta said: "I did not seek any assurance."

Om Prakash Singh also said that there was no discussion on leadership change at the meeting which dealt mainly with the forthcoming panchayat polls in the State and organisational elections.

on Saturday, Govindacharya had submitted a report to Thakre on the BJP’s state in Uttar Pradesh in the context of demands for a leadership change. But he did not make any recommendation either in favour or against a change.

However, the BJP top brass has realised that continuing with Gupta would prove disastrous for the party’s fortunes especially when the crucial Assembly elections are due next year. The cadres, especially those belonging to the more aggressive forward castes, are feeling restive and want someone from their own ranks like Union Surface Transport Minister Rajnath Singh, a Thakur, to head the government.

With Singh at the helm, the BJP can at least consolidate the forward castes in its favour which is most crucial at a time when its backward-caste constituency has been slipping away ever since Kalyan Singh, a backward Lodh, was forced out of the party. The results of the recent Soron Assembly by-election which put the BJP at a humiliating fourth position is a clear pointer to what is in store for the party.

But what is proving ticklish for the BJP is a decision on whether or not to effect a change in the presidentship of the State unit. Om Prakash Singh is from a backward caste and the party has to decide if it has to go the whole hog and appoint someone belonging to a forward caste in his place.