Allahabad: In a development that points to a possible rift within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, party MP from Sultanpur Varun Gandhi on Monday skipped a dinner meeting with party president Amit Shah.
Varun’s absence from the MPs dinner, hosted by party’s state unit chief Keshav Maurya, has not gone down well within the central leadership, who are already unhappy over Varun’s purported attempt to project himself as probable chief ministerial candidate during BJP's two-day National Executive conclave in Allahabad.
The party is now believed to have issued a show-cause notice to two workers, who allegedly were found to be involved in the goof-up. Varun’s supporters though have said they no such notice has been issued.
Hundreds of posters of Varun were put in the city in an apparent bid to ensure that his candidacy is not missed during the two-day session, if the party is looking for a face to project in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections early next year. However, the move reportedly did not go down well with the party's central leadership.
After noticing the posters on Sunday, Shah asked for a report on the issue from party cadres, and it was found out that two local party workers, who supported the Sultanpur MP, were involved in the act of putting hundreds of hoardings and posters in the city. The posters also had images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.
Shah, as per sources, had also taken note of some party workers shouting slogans in support of Varun at the entrance of the party National Executive meeting.
“Even if there are hoardings, what is the problem? There is no mention of his CM candidacy. The hoardings were put up by the youth workers. In all the hoardings, you will only find Varun’s images along with Prime Minister and Amit Shah,” sources close to Varun said.
Meanwhile, Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha has thrown his weight behind Varun’s bid to become the party’s face for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections.
“Varun Gandhi is known among the people as a fighter who strives hard for the party. He has the acceptability of the people of Uttar Pradesh and he is a leader with wisdom,” Sinha said.
The BJP has already launched its campaign in the state. The party wants to win the state with an absolute majority to ensure it retains the power in 2019 at New Delhi.
The BJP is out of power in the country’s largest populous state from last 14 years.
