DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand BJP President, Mahendra Bhatt, had a “surprise” visit to the residence of Gadarpur MLA and former cabinet minister Arvind Pandey, in what is viewed as a strategic move by party leadership to quell internal dissent.
The visit comes at a critical juncture when Pandey, a heavyweight leader, has been visibly disgruntled with the party’s state leadership and the government’s functioning.
Upon his arrival, Bhatt was greeted by a large crowd of party workers. However, the focus of the visit was a long, closed-door meeting between the two leaders.
According to sources, the discussion centred on organisational restructuring and local political grievances.
Addressing the workers later, Bhatt signaled a shift toward election readiness.
"The BJP’s strength lies in its organisation and its dedicated workers. It is the need of the hour to strengthen the party at the booth level and maintain constant contact with the public as we look toward the 2027 Assembly elections," Bhatt said.
However, the subtext of the meeting is hard to ignore.
Arvind Pandey, who served as a cabinet minister in the Trivendra Singh Rawat administration, found himself sidelined in the Pushkar Singh Dhami 2.0 government. Over the past year, he has publicly voiced his dissatisfaction regarding regional development and administrative issues.
The friction reached a boiling point following legal troubles involving the MLA’s family.
On January 20, the Bajpur police registered a case against Pandey’s brother, Devanand Pandey, and three others over allegations of fraudulent land grabbing. Further complications arose in August when authorities issued a show-cause notice regarding "illegal construction" on the disputed site.
In a dramatic turn of events on January 30, Pandey met with DGP Abhinav Kumar (then DG) and DGP Deepam Seth, demanding a Narco and Polygraph test for both his family members and the accusers.
"I want the truth to come out. Let there be a Narco test for both parties to clear the air," Pandey had stated, asserting that the charges were politically motivated.
Political analysts suggest that the BJP state leadership is currently in "firefighting mode."
With the 2027 elections on the horizon, the party cannot afford a public rebellion from a seasoned leader like Pandey, especially in the sensitive Terai belt.
While the official party line maintains that the visit was a routine organisational exercise, the timing suggests a desperate attempt to bridge the widening rift between the government and its veteran legislators.