Rift in city BJP comes to fore again

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 18

Factionalism within the Chandigarh BJP came to the fore once again as MC councillors supporting city BJP president Sanjay Tandon did not turn up at a meeting with the CHB chairman called by MP Kirron Kher here yesterday at the UT Guest House. However, those owing allegiance to Kher were present at the meeting.

Kirron Kher had called a meeting of the councillors in whose wards there were violations in CHB flats. However, only seven councillors turned up at the meeting.

Councillors Davesh Moudgil, Heera Negi, Anil Kumar Dubey, Kanwarjeet Singh Rana and Chanderawati Shukla, who are said to be in the Kher group, were present at the meeting. Farmila and Rajesh Kumar Kalia were also present there.

Whereas former mayor and councillor Arun Sood, councillors Bharat Kumar, Shakti Devshali, Satish Kainth, Jagtar Singh, Vinod Aggarwal and Gurpreet Dhillon, who are said to be in the Tandon camp, did not come. Despite the fact that in the wards of Bharat, Shakti and Kainth, there are several problems of violations in CHB flats.

Even yesterday, BJP media in-charge Ravinder Pathania, who owes allegiance to the party president, had questioned Kher on Facebook regarding her works in her adopted village –Sarganpur - under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna. The post was not visible today and said to have been deleted.

Prior to this in October, the similar instance came to light when councillor Davesh had not called Mayor Asha Kumar Jaswal, said to be in Tandon camp, and got a Sehaj Safai Kendra inaugurated from the then commissioner.

Following this, councillors in the Tandon group had signed a letter to send a complaint to the BJP in Delhi. Most councillors in the Kher camp had not signed the letter.

Besides, there have been several instances where leaders of the two factions avoided making it to an event called by the head of the other group. There are a few in the party who support former BJP MPs Satya Pal Jain and Harmohan Dhawan, and they too are said to be in the Kher’s faction.

When Kher was contacted over this, she said: “For me, party is supreme. All councillors are equal to me. I call all of them to address any issue they have in their ward. I had called councillors for the meeting yesterday, but some of them could not come. So, we cannot say it is factionalism. Instead of writing something on Facebook, the person should visit me.”

The BJP president clarified, “If someone has been called for an event, then he/she will go. If someone cannot attend the event, it is not apt to say that there is factionalism within the party. We all are working for the party at our own capacity. As far as FB post is concerned, I had called Pathania to enquire about it. He is not well for the past few days and has not posted the same. It must have been hacked or some mischief might be there.”

Shakti said: “I received a call, but at that time I was out for some event. So could not attend the meeting.”