Dehradun, Sep 9: Suspense has mounted in the ruling BJP in Uttarakhand amid reports that a change of guard is likely in the hill state.
BJP sources here said the party high command would shortly decide regarding the new state leadership in the wake of alleged corruption scandals facing the government. The forthcoming Assembly elections within the next six months has also led to the party high command take a serious view on the issue.
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, former chief ministers Bhuvan Chand Khanduri and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari along with a host of other leaders have been invited to New Delhi by BJP high command, they said. A meeting of the parliamentary board which met in New Delhi late last evening had remained indecisive over the leadership issue.
“Top party leaders will hold talks with senior state party leaders before taking a final decision on the change of guard,” a senior BJP leader said.
Both Khanduri and Koshiyari are opposing the leadership of Nishank, party sources said.
When contacted on the issue, state BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal claimed that he has no knowledge of any change of guard in the state. Other leaders also refused to comment on the political developments in the state.
The new developments within the ruling BJP came as Nishank is facing opposition from a section of the party leaders. Recently, senior leader and former tourism minister TPS Rawat, a Khanduri loyalist, quit BJP on the issue of alleged corruption scandals in the state.
Both Khanduri and Koshiyari have conveyed to the party high command about their displeasure over the current status of the party, especially about the alleged scams that has rocked the state.
Few months ago, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari had met all the three leaders—Nishank, Khanduri and Koshiyari at New Delhi to resolve the differences.
The party is currently divided into three main camps of Nishank, Khanduri and Koshiyari.
Khanduri and Koshiyari have joined hands for the time being despite their political differences during the past few years, they said.
Khanduri has been holding meeting of top party leaders at his residence in an apparent show of strength. But all the party legislators distanced themselves from the meeting.
Nishank had replaced Khanduri soon after the 2009 general elections where BJP lost all the five Lok Sabha seats to Congress in the state. PTI
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