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Dehradun: After a complete overhaul of its cabinet in Gujarat, the BJP may next bench 40-50 per cent of its sitting MLAs from Uttarakhand in the assembly elections in about five months’ time, if a two-part evaluation exercise. There are preliminary findings. True, ThePrint has learned.
The list may include, according to senior Uttarakhand BJP leaders who are involved in the evaluation exercise being conducted on the instructions of BJP’s state in-charge Dushyant Gautam, national general secretary BL Santosh monitoring it.
Sources said that as part of the first round, a group of around 10-11 senior party leaders from Delhi and the state organization visited the assembly constituencies to assess the level of anti-incumbency against each of the 57 BJP MLAs. visited. The team included four state general secretary Gautam and Lok Sabha MP Rekha Verma, BJP’s co-in-charge for Uttarakhand. This campaign was run from 1 to 20 September.
A second survey to understand public perception about BJP MLAs is currently underway, and is likely to take another fortnight. The names of the leaders who will not be re-nominated will be decided later, sources said.
Speaking to ThePrint, Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik admitted that the anti-incumbency wave against party MLAs is being assessed to decide their nomination for the 2022 election. However, he refused to say anything about its outcome.
“Assessing the performance of MLAs is a traditional exercise of the BJP. This is a continuous process and the central leadership monitors our performance through this. Shortlisting of non-performers is also a part of this exercise,” said Kaushik. “However, I cannot comment on its outcome as it is directly related to the central leadership. This would be a violation on my part as the result of the survey would be acted upon by the party leadership.
Elections to the 70-seat Uttarakhand assembly will be held early next year. Since its first election in 2002, the state has never voted back an incumbent government.
BJP spokesperson Manbir Chouhan said that “assessing the performance of MLAs has been an ideal and integral part of BJP’s election preparations, but not everyone is aware of it”.
“Its terms and conditions may also be circumstantial, which helps the party leadership to take future course of action to formulate future election plans. It is difficult to say anything about the fate of the sitting MLAs as the task is always in the hands of senior party leaders.
“Our target is to return to power with 60 seats and break the myth of return of the incumbent governments in the state. The BJP leadership is working on its election strategy with this agenda, no matter what obstacles stand in the way.
Read also: Who is BJP leader Harsh Sanghvi, who has 9 portfolios in the new CM cabinet of Gujarat?
‘Names yet to be finalised’
BJP leaders and office bearers surveyed said the central leadership had asked the evaluation team to first sense the anti-incumbency wave against the MLAs, as it would also reflect the five-year activities of the ministers in charge. ”
A senior BJP leader said, “Now after this a second survey is being conducted which will finalize the names of MLAs to be removed in ticket distribution.”
“So far, 25-30 names have been found ineligible to contest the 2022 elections. This number may increase after the survey is over in the next 10 days. Changing the government in Gujarat is now a benchmark for the party leadership.
The final list, the BJP leader said, may surprise everyone in the party as it “will also include ministers from the Pushkar Singh Dhami cabinet”.
“The names of all the MLAs have not been finalized yet, but about half of them have been identified,” a spokesperson of the other party said on the condition of anonymity.
“They will lose if the party re-nominates them for the 2022 state elections. Intensive discussions are going on with voters and lower level party workers regarding the victory of MLAs in every constituency,” the spokesperson said.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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