The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national leadership is likely to adopt a tough stance on the resentment among National Democratic Alliance (NDA) State unit allies over the reported delay in sharing boards and Corporations under the Central government.
The Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) has openly aired its ire against the delay in honouring the commitment to share the 300-odd posts which the BJP national leadership had made soon after the BJP national executive in Kozhikode last year.
As a mark of protest, the party had not deputed its representative for the NDA meeting in New Delhi two days ago and openly accused the BJP of neglecting the allies. Party leader and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan had even questioned the meaning in continuing the alliance in the State.
The BJP national leadership may not pay heed to such protests, at least for the time being. Emboldened by the poll outcome in Uttar Pradesh, the leadership is unlikely to concede to the demands immediately.
Party sources told The Hindu that the BJP national leadership construed the BDJS stance as a pressure tactic to wrest its share and appease the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to escape or at least delay the legal action the government had initiated against the Yogam leadership in a clutch of microfinance cases.
The dual voice of the BDJS has virtually annoyed a section of the State and Central leaders who deem it as hard bargaining. Except the BDJS and the Kerala Congress faction led by P.C. Thomas, most other constituents of the State NDA do neither have a mass base nor wield clout in any particular segment. They may have to prove their influence before claiming for more. Which also means that the BJP would not be in a haste to apportion the posts on the basis of their plea that time is running out.
Consolidation of position would also prompt the national leadership to ruthlessly muffle the dissenting voices in the State party machinery too. The present State leadership will definitely have to improve its tally in the Lok Sabha elections and it may not be able to get away easily with a mere claim of increase in vote share alone, sources said.
