RSS factor stalls BJP elections

The tight bear hug that the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has gripped the BJP with seems to be getting just a bit tighter.

The organisational elections for various state units of the BJP are seeing waves of dissent with the RSS pushing its favourites on one side and state party units plumping for their own leaders.

Matters have reached such a head that the date for wrapping up these election has been postponed from November 15 to November 23.

Party insiders say that the delay in state unit elections in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Assam can be attributed not just to competing claims, but in most cases to RSS pushing certain candidates.

For example, in Haryana and Himachal, the elections were supposed to be held on November 9-10, but have now been postponed to November 18.

In HP, former minister in the NDA government Shanta Kumar is pushing the case of former state education minister J P Naddha, while RSS man Sanjay Joshi is in favour of MP Kirpal Parmar.

In Haryana, in between the competing claims of popular candidates Ram Vilas Sharma, Kailash Sharma and Krishan Pal Gujjar, the RSS is pushing the candidacy of Atam Prakash Manchanda.

In Rajasthan, the state unit is opposing the RSS nominee Raghubir Singh Kaushal, said to be close to RSS apparachtik Madan Dass Devi.

In the state unit's ongoing battle with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, they are hoping for a stronger chief to keep the chief minister in line.

Senior leader from Uttar Pradesh Kalraj Mishra had been rushed to the state to bring about a consensus, but he has been unsuccessful so far. Elections here are scheduled for November 18.

With the state unit elections being postponed, Rajnath Singh's re-anoinment as party chief also remains in limbo.