Fissures surface in BJP over Manoj Tiwari’s induction

 If the national leadership of the BJP is divided over the declaration of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, the city unit of the party is divided over fielding Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tiwari in the upcoming Delhi assembly election. Poorvanchal (Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh) leaders of the party are demanding representation of grass-root workers over Tiwari’s celebrity face. 

According to sources, the Poorvanchal leaders of the party have demanded tickets for 14 candidates in east Delhi and outer Delhi areas where the community is in a majority. 

‘The party has promised us appropriate representation in ticket distribution and we have demanded a 20 per cent seats only. 

But it seems the party wants to cash in on the popularity of Tiwari and dump the ground-level workers,’ said a senior Poorvanchal leader of 

the party. 

Besides these 14 assembly segments, the community has a strong influence in over 30 assembly segments in the city. 

The leaders of the community are also worried about the move of the party as city BJP chief Vijay Goel, in a recent meeting with Poorvanchal leaders, assured them of appropriate representation but did not make any concrete promise about the number of seats. 

The party has one more front to handle before inducting Tiwari — his past. In 2009 general elections, Tiwari had contested against Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur parliamentary constituency on a ticket from Samajwadi Party, the arch rival of BJP. Adityanath, basically a religious leader of famous Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur holds the Gorakhpur seat since 1998 when he was elected as 

the youngest MP at the age of 26 year to the twelfth Lok Sabha. 

He is seen as religious and political guru of Poorvanchal voters so much that the community never tolerates even a single word against Adityanath. In the election both the contestants had traded blame games but Tiwari lost the seat with huge margin. 

However, the managers of BJP are of the view that Tiwari, a singer, actor, television presenter and music director from Bihar has strong support base in Bihar and estern Uttar Pradesh which will benefit the party and boost the campaign with his Bhojpuri songs. 

‘We will inform you about the date of induction whenever it is decided,’ said Vijay Goel. The party is reportedly busy in finalising the seat from where Tiwari would fielded. Earlier, in 2011 he was to be inducted in BJP but dropped due to protests within the party cadres.