Despite Intel and Sangh inputs BJP top brass stuck to their suicidal LS candidate selection?

X: @prashanthamine

Mumbai: In the aftermath of the detrimental June 4 Lok Sabha election results, there seems to be an implosion of sorts happening within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is all got to do with the poor results due to wrong choice of candidates in two key states of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Sources have revealed to TheNews21 that despite reports from Intelligence agencies and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) internal reports recommending changing weak candidates, the BJP parliamentary board appears to have stuck to its suicidal selection of candidates and hurting its own cause.

Sources in the party on conditions of anonymity have further revealed that for the first time Intelligence agencies had submitted a report to the BJP top brass red-flagging its choice of candidates for some Lok Sabha constituencies. Even the RSS also had sent a similar report to the BJP top brass stating that some candidates need to be changed as they were perceived to be weak and did not stand a chance of winning.

Yet it is a deep mystery for a section of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar as to why did the BJP top brass did not heed to the timely warning and change its candidates. Sources argued that this apparently appears to be the handiwork of some vested interests within the party who seem to have misguided or wrongly briefed the party’s selection panel. The aim seems to have been to damage the image and stature of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Especially in the case of Uttar Pradesh, sources revealed that 39 of the candidates recommended by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, the selection panel outrightly rejected all the 39 candidates. Ironically enough, on election result day, it turned out that all the 39 candidates selected by the selection panel, all had lost the elections.

Sources further added that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was smart enough to stich an alliance with the Congress first. The SP chief was alert to the dangers and changed the party candidates in some cases multiple times before getting all the winning equations right. That is why the SP got such a huge electoral success in UP, contrary to the poll pundits.

The Sangh Parivar too tried to draw the party leaderships attention to the need for changing some party candidates as they were perceived to be weak or were facing strong anti-incumbency sentiments. Sources added that the Sangh Parivar when they found out that their report was also being shown the dustbin, they too backed out and left it to the wisdom of their local Swayamsevak’s to take a call on lending support to the BJP and its alliance partner candidates.

The implosion has already hit the Maharashtra BJP with its Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis offering to step down from his post in the government and accepting whatever new task that the party assigned to him. It remains to be seen as to whether the party top brass will accept his offer to step down given the tense, fluid situation within the party.

Much of it depends on the June 8 swearing-in ceremony planned by Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi. The organizational shake-up at the national and at the respective state level may not happen that soon, as any hasty overhaul might be seen as the sign of weakness from the party leadership. Some decisions might well be based on the party’s internal assessment on what went wrong in its Lok Sabha election strategy.