At a time when the Lok Sabha polls are round the corner and the West Bengal unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting all the 42 seats, Murli Manohar Joshi, one of BJP?s top notch leader and a former Human Resource Development minister, has simply bypassed his political colleagues here in Kolkata, restricting his visit to address a chamber interactive session.
Although state BJP spokesperson Colonel Sabyasachi Bagchi said Joshi had a tight schedule and so could not make time to meet his party colleagues, Joshi arrived at the city on Friday evening and was here for a whole day.
Joshi attended an interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on Saturday and left the city thereafter.
Bagchi said Joshi came to the city with the purpose of interacting with the members of the ICC and had not kept any party programme in his schedule.
?In fact, we were got the information regarding his visit late and so could not arrange for a political programme with him,? Bagchi said. Besides, there are problems in holding public meetings because of the forthcoming Higher Secondary examination in the state, he added.
According Bagchi, six of the twelve state office bearers are contesting the polls and they are in their respective constituencies now. So holding an office-bearer meeting with six members would not make much sense.
Rahul Sinha, state general secretary, said there were possibilities of controversy after declaring the names of the candidates in all the 42 seats. The party did not want Joshi to fall amidst it.
?However, very often central leaders come to the city, attend their own programmes and leave without bothering to meet party colleagues here,? Sinha said.
Rahul Chakraborty, secretary, contesting for the Uluberia seat, said he tried to bring Joshi to his constituency, but could not coordinate properly for lack of time .
However, Bagchi said Joshi is among the list of leaders who would campaign in the state. Others who are supposed to campaign are Sushma Swaraj, Shatrughan Sinha, Surinder Singh Ahluwalia and Chandan Mitra. The state unit is trying to fix up a date with the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.
Joshi, who is a member of the party?s manifesto committee, said that party would include Ram Mandir in its manifesto and would not deviate from its hindutava agenda in any degree.
On economic issues, it would have a more realistic approach and set different parameters of growth besides the existing ones.
GDP, as a parameter of growth, ? is a statistical jugglery created only to give a false index of development. GDP is very confusing and whimsical,? Joshi said.
On the rift between Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, Joshi said that petty disputes can happen between the members of a big family, but that doesn?t mean the family is broken. Jaitley will soon come along in the party functions.