UP: Is an overhaul in the govt on the cards

New Delhi, Sep3: Are things not well in the Uttar Pradesh BJP? The way they are being discussed and information coming out in the process of trying to put things in order in the state, it seems so. Proposed change of state Bharatiya Janata Party president, name of a new Dalit deputy chief minister, possible change of the state organising secretary and even the news doing rounds about Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contest election from Puri in Odisha, all these things tell something is wrong somewhere.

Pressure of delivering in 2019

Pressure of 2019 elections is mounting on the BJP leadership as repeating 2014 performance is the target for every BJP leader in the state. But there was absolutely different situation in 2014 when allegedly corrupt United Progressive Alliance government was used as a punching bag and in in 2017 the Yadav first family offered the Lucknow seat to the BJP with some election management of the party president Amit Shah. But this time round the party seems indecisive what to do and where to go. The fear of mahagathbandhan is making them all the more nervous in the bargain.

Who will be the faces?

Sources in the BJP said that the name of an OBC leader Swatantra Dev Singh for the state party president was almost decided but his name was put on cold storage after it was leaked out in media. He is a man of organisation and popular OBC leader. Now the name of state power minister Srikant Sharma is doing for state BJP president who is considered to be no-nonsense man and who knows organisation and leaders of the organisation very well. Similarly the name of former Union HRD minister Ram Shanker Katheria is doing rounds for the post of Dalit deputy chief minister in the state. He too is young and aggressive.

Fault lines for the BJP in the state

The BJP has managed to win 73 Lok Sabha seats when Amit Shan was general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. Now in a situation where 11.5 per cent Brahmins in the states are feeling cheated by the BJP with all senior Brahmin leaders sidelined, the party cannot take them for granted as they have sizable number of population in the state. The feat of the BJP is correct with Shiv Bhakt Janeu-Dhari Rahul Gandhi playing aggressive. Rajputs are also not happy with the fact that neither Union home minister Rajnath Singh nor Yogi Aadityanath have been free hands. Jats in Uttar Pradesh are not happy for the treatment they got from the UP government and the Centre. Jat youths are still in jail without getting any help either from the party or from the government. The new definition of poorvanchal has become Varanasi and nothing is happening anywhere. Anger of hindutva forces is another factor to deal with.

What they are trying to save the game!

Sources in the BJP said that the party wants a pro-active state president like Srikant Sharma that also fits in the cast equation of the state. BJP's social engineering in the state has gone haywire as the BJP's calculation that a Hindutva icon like Yogi Aadityanath will sail them through in 2019 Lok Sabha is proving to be wrong and its decision of making a meek Brahmin deputy CM in Dinesh Sharma is proving to be counter productive and to cut wings of an aggressive young OBC leader to a deputy CM also proving to be a wrong decision. So new permutation and combinations are being devised.

Party President Amit Shah to take a call

Seven districts of Bundelkhand is completely neglected, it may be argued that the BJP has given a President Ramnath Kovind from the region but even Jhansi cannot identify itself with him. So the party is looking different options but how far they will work is a big question. The most interesting aspect is that in the case of Uttar Pradesh, no one except the party president takes the decision. So if the state will have a new CM or a Dalit deputy CM or a new Brahmin state president or OBC state president, the call is entirely of the party but things are certainly murky in the state. But it is high time for the party to take a call.

Sources said that some names are pending with the party president Amit Shah. Will they be announced or some new names will be added it again a matter of speculation but leaders in Uttar Pradesh wants some decision to be taken.