New Delhi: On Friday, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi used strong words on the situation in Jharkhand where Shibu Soren seems to have done another U-turn on the Chief Minister's issue.
Joshi called the events in Jharkhand the theatre of the absurd which many saw as a veiled attack on the party's policies there. That seems to be the latest in a series of headaches for new party chef Nitin Gadkari.
"What's happening in Jharkhand is the theatre of absurd," said Murli Manohar Joshi, BJP leader.
MM Joshi's remark on Jharkhand is the first open dissent in the BJP against Nitin Gadkari. A sign, that in trying to find a leg in national politics, Gadkari is fumbling. Jharkhand is the most recent and glaring fumble.
Shibu voted against the BJP's cut motion, the BJP threatened withdrawal of support. Since then Soren has been embarrassing the BJP.
Gadkari has been relying on Rajnath Singh and Ananth Kumar who back a government with Soren in Jharkhand. While Advani camp opposed to the tie up has stayed away.
Jharkhand proves coteries in the BJP, that Gadkari had to end, still exist. Suddenly Gadkari finds himself out of sync on most issues.
He made an unsavoury remark against Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh. The Opposition called him a novice and the party cringed.
"He should not have said this," said Kalraj Mishra, BJP vice president.
Barring the spokesperson, not one senior leader came out to defend him. Till yesterday, it was said that the RSS hand is with him. Now whispers are on - who else is with Gadkari.
He is charged with not being in control, as he tries to create a balance between the RSS, the BJP and the BJP's anti-RSS faction.
For instance- Advani, not Gadkari, is trying to get Jaswant Singh back to the party
- He wanted Uma Bharti back but factions opposed it
- He was against caste census but opponents forced a change
- He wanted a GenNext team but factions derailed it
To be fair to Nitin Gadkari, it was barely five months ago, he took over as the BJP president but five months can be a cruel period in saffron politics.