Lucknow: The BJP's claim of massive success
for its special membership drive in Uttar Pradesh, where the
party's downward curve continues, has ironically brought to
the fore continued factional feud in the party's state unit
with dissidents questioning the claim.
"At the time when the party is ridden with infighting
and is facing one of the biggest problems at the highest
level, it was wrong in the first place to have launched any
such membership drive and it would still be childish to claim
such a high figure as ten lakh new members", a party leader,
considered a detractor BJP chief Rajnath Singh, said here
today.
Aiming potshots at the state unit president Ramapati
Ram Tripathi, a Rajnath-loyalist, he said that after the
drubbing in assembly byelections as well as last Lok Sabha
polls the state unit, "instead of putting the house in order
went in for membership drive and to hide its shortcomings
presented bloated figures to the media".
Another leader said motivating people to join the
party at this juncture is very difficult for workers and
district, block and village level leaders who themselves are
demoralised.
The state BJP leadership, however, defended the
membership drive. "The membership drive was launched to
reinvigorate the party after the recent below-par showing
in elections and also to involve workers and leaders in some
constructive work", a leader close to the state leadership,
who is not authorised to speak to the media, said on
condition of anonymity.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, September 03, 2009, 20:33