Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Sep 3: Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) point-man Ram Madhav arrived in Srinagar Tuesday after spending some time in Jammu where he calmed the tempers of disgruntled party men who were disappointed over mandate distribution.
Amid rousing reception in Srinagar, he patted on the back of the party’s candidate for the politically significant Assembly seat—Lal Chowk—Er Aijaz Hussain. A video showing Er Aijaz receiving Madhav in Srinagar is viral on social media.
Madhav’s arrival on the political scene of Kashmir has come at a time when National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah has stoked a controversy of sorts by stating that he (Madhav) has good connections in PDP and may be still in touch with the party. Adding fuel to the fire, senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana, who parted ways from NC three years ago, dropped a bombshell stating that in 2014, Omar led NC delegation went with a begging bowl to Delhi to seek alliance with BJP without any condition. Rana even claimed that NC was ready for a Hindu CM in J&K.
Madhav was recalled by the BJP high command for ‘mission J&K” ahead of the crucial Assembly polls commencing on September 18 in three phases. Madhav was the man behind striking the PDP-BJP deal in 2014 till the distribution of portfolios and was considered as the BJP’s expert on J&K affairs. He, however, was removed from the party’s General Secretary Post in 2020 but has been assigned a “big task” in J&K yet again.
A senior BJP leader, privy to Madhav’s arrival in J&K, said that given his expertise in J&K politics, he has been tasked with a mission for sure. “His job is to ensure BJP’s slogan of ab ki baar 50 paar is achieved,” he said on the condition of anonymity. “He has a script from the party high command in his pocket which is religiously being followed by him.”
In Jammu, Madhav played a significant role to keep the party cadre intact amid growing tensions over distribution of mandates. The BJP saw resentment in Jammu over distribution of tickets even as its senior faces Chander Mohan and Kashmira Singh decided to quit. Besides that, many leaders were upset over mandate distribution in Jammu. Amid brewing anger among party ranks in Jammu, Madhav, sources said played a vital role in “dousing the flames and keeping the flock together” even as some disgruntled party leaders decided to contest as independent.
Now that Madhav is in Kashmir, party leaders assert that he is going to pass on the directions to the party cadre how the party can achieve the target of 50 seats minimum in the upcoming elections. BJP is contesting on all 90 seats including seven seats reserved for Schedule Tribe (ST).
“There is no open alliance by the party this time around but….,” another BJP leader, who has been given a mandate to contest from one of the seats in Kashmir, said. “Madhav will meet some people outside BJP as he has a lot of friends in Kashmir.”
Madhav’s “love-lost” for BJP’s Lal Chowk candidate Er Aijaz is not new. He visited Er Aijaz’s house at Balhama in 2014 and addressed a rally there. He also had lunch here.
Party sources said that he may be part of one or two rallies with Er Aijaz in the coming days while carrying out the task assigned to him by the BJP high command. “He is here for a few days for sure. There is a meeting scheduled with like-minded people too,” a source privy to Madhav’s itinerary, said, adding that ‘mission is to ensure BJP gains maximum out of the upcoming polls to stake claim on government formation’. “How we can achieve that, Madhav definitely has a script and directions from the high command.”
