Posters For Key BJP Meet In Allahabad Keep Up Suspense Over Party's Face In UP Polls

Allahabad: Ahead of the BJP's two-day National Executive meet that begins in Allahabad this evening with focus on battleground Uttar Pradesh, hoardings on streets of the city indicate a growing conflict within the party over who would be its face in state elections early next year.

Soon after Amit Shah took over as party president in 2014, Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi was dropped from the team of office bearers, but the BJP leader with the Gandhi surname makes a comeback on several hoardings and posters flashed across the city ahead of the key meet at KP college ground, a few kilometres from the Nehru family home, Anand Bhawan.

However, party leaders, playing down the issue, say these are not official hoardings but effort by supporters of individual leaders.
 
"Posters and hoardings don't mean someone is a claimant for the CM (chief minister's) post," said party leader Siddharth Nath Singh.

The other prominent face sharing hoarding space with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah is Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was also the UP chief minister from 2000-2002. The hoardings indicate confusion and jostling within the BJP over how to strategise for the crucial state polls early next year.

Sources in the BJP say a discussion on who will be the party's chief ministerial candidate in UP or will the BJP do an Assam in the state is not likely to be decided during the national executive meet.

But the debate in the Congress over Gandhi leading the campaign in UP has created a scramble in the BJP. The party has no strong face to counter SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati in UP,  but the Congress' plans have forced the BJP to start calculating the benefits of deciding on the chief ministerial candidate.

In January this year, PM Modi and party president Amit Shah had tried to find out if Rajnath Singh would take up the challenge. Mr Singh, who according to sources doesn't want to rule himself out of Delhi's elite power circle, said no.

There are other names which the BJP and RSS have been discussing. These include Varun Gandhi, Smriti Irani and Mahesh Sharma.  

A section of top leaders in Delhi and UP feel the Gandhi surname and Varun's strident image are his positives. However, others feel his style of functioning may displease the old guard.

Similarly, Smriti Irani too has supporters and opponents. Her "outsider" status and caste are cited as negatives while her engaging style of politics is considered a plus.

Considering the state's caste factors, the BJP is also divided over whether to pick an upper caste member or a dalit or a backward. Keshav Prasad Maurya, an MBC (most backward class) was made the party's UP chief earlier this year.
 
By picking Allahabad - a holy city as venue for its big conclave, the BJP is sending a signal - its focus is now UP.

Om Mathur , PM Narendra Modi's key man in UP, told NDTV, "Many issues will be discussed at the meet but the main focus will be on UP polls due next year."

The PM celebrated his two year in power with a rally in Saharanpur. He launched his Stand-Up India in Noida and Ujjwala scheme in Ballia. The choice of Allahabad for the meet first time in almost three decades has subtle Hindtuva overtones.

The area since the late 80s has been a SP and BSP stronghold. The BJP's new state chief, Mr Maurya hails from this region. The party plans to raise his status with the meet in his political backyard.

On day one of the conclave, Amit Shah is meeting all office bearers to discuss the plans for elections in UP and four other states - Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Goa. The meet will end with a public rally at Allahabad parade ground. However, the meet's theme is two years of Modi government.

Allahabad has been UP's political epicentre - a playground for legends like Jawaharlal Nehru and VP Singh.