Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 29

‘Annihilation’ is perhaps the word that aptly describes the BJP’ strategy to tackle the Opposition, particularly the Congress, and to achieve the ultimate goal of its dream of a “Congress-mukt Bharat” while keeping its allies, especially difficult ones like the Shiv Sena, on a tight leash.

While the Congress is trying hard to thwart “poaching” of its legislators ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, observers believe the BJP putting up a candidate against the Congress’ all-powerful leader Ahmed Patel actually shows their target is not him, but the “ultimate power in the grand old party”— Sonia Gandhi.

BJP leaders, meanwhile, term the Congress’ move to shift its Gujarat MLAs to Bengaluru as “childish and attention-diverting gimmick” saying “many things can still happen if they have to do as in the case of Presidential elections”.

By pitting Congress’ former chief whip Balvantsinh Rajput as its third Rajya Sabha candidate from Gujarat against Patel, the clear indication by the BJP is there are no “holy cows” (read friendly senior leaders in Opposition parties) for whom they will let go of seats for friendly considerations.

Also, despite winning Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is not leaving Opposition parties—SP and BSP—any breathing space. Just today, three MLCs, two from SP and one from BSP, resigned. Speculations in Delhi’s political corridors are that the BJP is going all out to “finish” Mayawati or whatever is remaining of her BSP.

Rumours are that Deputy CM of the state Keshav Prasad Maurya may resign from his position and be given a post in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet in the next reshuffle—all to stall BSP supremo Mayawati from contesting from the Phulpur constituency he holds and entering Parliament via the Lok Sabha route. She had recently resigned from the Rajya Sabha to protest “not being allowed to speak in the House on atrocities against Dalits”.

Spare time for party workers, Yogi told