I don’t usually make political comments in this column, especially on local personalities. But I must confess that I was taken aback by the action taken against Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi and his wife Abhilasha Gupta, the popular Mayor of the city. They have been accused of indulging in anti-party activities.
Some time ago the veteran Ashok Bajpai and his rising son Harshvardhan were also eased out of the party for the same reason. And prior to that another leader Ram Sewak Patel was expelled from the party. It is difficult to believe that all five of them were working against the interests of the party or the party chief. But if, as alleged, all these leaders were working against the interests of the party, there must something be really incongruent within which needs to be set right, A report says that these popular faces lost their membership because of one local leader. Many people are inclined to say that the four prominent leaders—Ashok, Harshvardhan, Nandi and Abhilasha—do not owe their popularity to the BSP . On the other hand the BSP benefited locally by its association with them. Abhilasha says that she was never a member of the BSP and that she contested the Mayor’s election as an Independent. Their popularity is said to due to the individual contacts which they have established with the people. Harshvardhan has gone over to SP and Nandi may or may not join BJP. But party labels apart, these leaders are well known in their personal capacity as well. And we would wish them all a good political journey ahead. At the same time people do have a lot of expectations from the BSP as well. How the party manages to grapple with the situation caused by the exit of stalwarts remains to be seen.
