Known Modi critic, Gordhan Zadaphia appointed as poll manager for UP, ahead of Lok Sabha polls by Amit Shah
As the political battleground for 2019 is set, the BJP president Amit Shah has played a game changing stroke by appointing Gordhan Zadafia, a known critic of PM Modi as the campaign head for UP.
The BJP has realized that the saying of its political guru and late former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee stands true and valid, when he said, ‘Road to Delhi goes through Lucknow’ and the Sangathan, BJP and party workers are leaving o stone unturned to revive the voter base in UP, after rumblings of a new alliance between SP-BSP and RLD.
BJP has appointed Zadaphia, who was the backbone of the party in reviving the cadre in 2017 assembly election in front of Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani’s campaign. He did not contest the election but had been working from behind the scenes, away from the limelight.
Zadaphia was a confidante of former Gujarat CM Keshu Bhai Patel and a close aide of Praveen Togadia of the Vishva Hindu Parishad. He was the Home Minister for State of Gujarat during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Although, he split with the BJP and formed his own party in 2009 in alliance with Keshu Bhai Patel but could not harbor seats with only 2.3% votes went to his party. He made a return to the BJP in 2014 and since then, has been helping the organization to fight the anti-incumbency and played an instrumental role in 2017 elections.
Now, the RSS man will have to counter the growing dissent against the party and then, adding on to his woes, the loss of the BJP in the Hindi heartland states. BJP’s motive will be to consolidate the castes through Hindutva outreach and divide the Muslim votes altogether.
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First published: 28 December 2018, 14:19 IST