NEW DELHI: Did BJP chief JP Nadda miss the opportunity to crack the whip against the fratricidal Delhi unit of the party after the rout in the assembly polls? A section of BJP leaders claim Nadda could have boosted the morale of the party workers by dissolving the party’s Delhi unit on the day of the verdict for internal sabotage as it emerged as a key reason for the party’s rout in Delhi.
"The BJP leadership has been aware of the party leaders in the city working at cross-purposes on the campaign trail. The phone call records were available to show that the leaders from the city unit worked against the interests of the party. Nadda had the best opportunity on Tuesday to send the city unit packing lock stock and barrel, but he missed the bus," said a BJP leader.
Despite Home Minister Amit Shah leading the BJP poll campaign, sources said the party was still not able to get workers in each municipal ward to work for its candidates. "The BJP office bearers in the Delhi unit worked to defeat a few candidates, while scores of municipal councilors from the party ranks stayed silent throughout the campaign because they didn’t like the official candidates. A large number of the councilors even appealed for vote for the nominees of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)," said another BJP functionary.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari is also facing the ire of the party leaders for deepening the divide in the party ranks. "In past one year, the office of BJP’s Delhi unit turned into a Poorvanchali wing, which miffed the party’s core base among the Punjabi and bania communities. Tiwari was more of a divisive agent in the Delhi unit, which had been known to the Central party leadership for a long time," added the BJP leader.