New Delhi/Dehradun: Worried about the continuing protests ankita bhandari murder case And due to the alleged recruitment scams in Uttarakhand, the BJP’s central leadership has stepped in to organize the House and the Pushkar Singh Dhami government is likely to change as well as the state unit.
Just a day after Dhami returned to Dehradun from a two-day visit to Delhi where he held a meeting with senior leaders, BJP general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh reached Dehradun on Friday to take stock of the situation in the state.
This was Dhami’s second visit Delhi within eight days.
The top leadership is concerned with the way things have unfolded in Uttarakhand, barely months after the BJP government remained in power in March. Top leaders not only summoned Dhami, but Uttarakhand unit president Mahendra Bhatt, senior ministers Dhan Singh Rawat, Trivendra Singh Rawat, Satpal Maharaj, Ritu Khanduri also met the central leaders.
Soon after returning to the state, Dhami flew to meet Ankita Bhandari’s parents on Friday and assured them of all possible help from the government.
According to a senior BJP leader, Santosh held closed-door meetings with several BJP leaders and ministers and also took feedback from them about the functioning of the Dhami government as well as the state unit. Officially, the party said that Santosh was in Dehradun to attend a function of the BJP Kisan Morcha.
Apart from meeting all four of the BJP State Secretary General Santosh Dhami’s cabinet ministers Ganesh Joshi, Dhan Singh Rawat and Subodh Uniyal sat with. Barring closed-door discussions with general secretaries, Santosh met ministers along with other BJP functionaries, including party spokespersons.
According to a senior BJP leader, Santosh sought feedback on the Ankita Bhandari murder case in the 2024 general election, alleged irregularities in assembly appointments and recruitment scams on the Dhami government and the impact on the BJP.
Party leaders said that apart from deliberating on strengthening the organization at the booth level in the assembly constituencies, Santosh also took feedback on the six-month performance of the Dhami government.
Sources told ThePrint that Santosh’s response will now be shared with the central leadership and a decision will be taken whether to expand or reshuffle the cabinet.
“As far as changes in the cabinet are concerned, big surprises are likely. Some new faces will be given space and this will strengthen the image of the government which fell after the Ankita murder case.
It is learned that Santosh took feedback on the functioning of the Dhami government as well as on the functioning of the government. state unit.
“He [Santosh] Took six months report of the functioning of the government. He has also taken feedback from senior officials on several important issues including UKSSSC paper leak case, Vidhan Sabha recruitment scam and Ankita murder case. These issues will play an important role in shaping the nature of government and organization in the coming days.
Friends and family ties of political leaders are accused of capturing at least 72 ad-hoc jobs in the Uttarakhand Assembly. Later Speaker Ritu Khanduri canceled more than 200 vacancies.
In the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSC) scam, question papers were allegedly leaked to candidates for which money was exchanged. So far more than 35 people have been arrested in this case.
Party sources said that after taking feedback from BJP leaders and ministers about the strategy of the opposition and what the BJP can do in the Ankita Bhandari case, Santosh discussed the strategy of the upcoming party and government programs. “The party would not like to hand over the Ankita issue, especially its emotional connection with the state, to the opposition under any circumstances. For this, the party has already organized tribute meetings across the state.
Another BJP leader said the central leadership was deeply concerned about the alleged recruitment scam and how the opposition was raking it up. Cabinet minister and former speaker Premchand Agarwal’s comments had embarrassed the government and the party when he admitted that nepotism in appointments to the Uttarakhand Assembly was part of the tradition since 2002.
,The recruitment scam has become a major controversy, and the central leadership was furious, it was quite clear. Action has been sought against Development Minister Premchand Agarwal and two others as party leaders and several MLAs want their expulsion. Feedback shared, but central leadership will decide,
This party official said.
“Santosh ji also talked about how there is a need to maintain party discipline and strengthen the state unit before the 2024 elections. He said that some leaders are defaming the good works of the government, and these issues need to be addressed,” said another leader.
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Concern over Ankita Bhandari case
According to BJP leaders, the central leadership is worried about the sudden demolition of the controversial resort room of Ankita Bhandari.
“The room at Vanantara Resort, where Ankita stayed while working at the resort, was bulldozed by the government on the night of September 22, when the police started a search for the victim in the canal where she was dumped by the accused. Everything has a protocol, and not everyone can be a bulldozer DadA senior BJP leader said.
The murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, employed by resort owner Pulkit Arya – the son of Haridwar-based BJP leader and former RSS pracharak Vinod Arya – had sparked widespread protests in Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand BJP will have appointments
While BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt has appointed his state executive and frontal bodies, he is yet to finalize the district chiefs. Bhatt told ThePrint that the party would soon have a new district unit chief in a week. “New district presidents will be appointed anytime after October 5, as we have completed consultations with senior leaders and the central leadership. In finalizing the names, aspects like caste and mass base of the leader have been kept in mind,” Bhatt said.
Though the BJP won only 14 constituencies in the 44-member Haridwar district panchayat elections, it was the party’s best performance in the last 22 years. In addition to the BJP’s 14 seats, independent candidates won 19 seats, BSP 6 and Congress 5 seats.
Bhatt told ThePrint that this year the BJP will have its first Haridwar district panchayat president as independents are ready to support the party. However, the party is also concerned that independent candidates managed to win 19 seats.
(Edited by Tony Rae)
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