BJP Leaders Are More Deal-Makers Than Leaders: Sanjay Awasthi

Shimla, May 24, 2024- In a sharp critique of the BJP, Sanjay Awasthi, the acting president of the Pradesh Congress, has accused the party of prioritizing political deals over genuine leadership. According to Awasthi, BJP leaders often engage in the buying and selling of elected representatives, undermining democratic norms and destabilizing elected governments.

Awasthi’s remarks came in a press statement from Shimla, where he questioned the integrity of BJP’s actions and its leaders. He asserted that despite losing badly in the first five phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is unwilling to accept defeat and might resort to purchasing MPs to maintain power. He accused the BJP of introducing the trend of toppling elected governments through unethical means, which poses a threat to India’s democratic fabric.

Awasthi targeted the BJP’s central leadership, claiming the party has become a two-man show dominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He argued that even senior BJP leaders are silenced or ousted if they dare to oppose Modi and Shah. He cited examples of party stalwarts like Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Subramanian Swamy, Yogi Adityanath, Nitin Gadkari, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who have been sidelined or removed from the party’s core operations.

Highlighting the age limit policy within the BJP, Awasthi questioned whether Modi, who will soon turn 75, will adhere to the retirement age set by his own party. He claimed that there is growing discontent among BJP leaders, who are now working against Modi and Shah in the Lok Sabha elections.

Awasthi also accused the BJP of attempting to destabilize the Himachal Pradesh government through ‘Operation Lotus’, which aimed at poaching MLAs to form a BJP-led government. He emphasized that despite these efforts, the Congress government in Himachal, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, remains strong with a clear majority. He pointed out that the six defectors who betrayed the Congress for money are now exposed and will face the electorate’s wrath on June 1.

Awasthi predicted that these defectors’ political careers would be ruined post-June 4, as the people of Himachal Pradesh are set to reject them and strengthen the Congress government further under Sukhu’s leadership.