Former union minister CP Thakur criticised Gadkari today saying the new team was "not balanced" and "injustice" has been meted to out to him.
Four months after being appointed BJP president, Nitin Gadkari faced his first challenge as discontent grew over composition of his new team with atleast three senior leaders from Bihar making their unhappiness known.
While former union minister Shatrughan Sinha aired his grievance yesterday for being ignored, another former union minister C P Thakur criticised Gadkari today saying the new team was "not balanced" and "injustice" has been meted to out to him.
Another leader Shahnawaz Hussain, who was made one of the seven spokespersons much below his expectations, also made
known his unhappiness by not attending a meeting of spokespersons convened by the top leadership today.
With Bihar assembly elections due in October this year, these leaders as also veterans like Yashwant Sinha were hoping for important positions in the newly-constituted team.
Purnea MP Udai Singh is also said be disenchanted with his exclusion from the list but has not come out in the open.
Gadkari, however, was unfazed, saying there were thousands of office bearers and he could not satisfy everybody.
"As far as what I personally feel, I tried to accommodate everybody. I can't satisfy everybody. As the president of the party, if anyone has any problem, he has the right to discuss it with me," Gadkari told NDTV.
Shatrughan Sinha was the first one to speak against the composition of Gadkari's team when he announced yesterday that
"most deserving" candidates like Yashwant Sinha have been left
out while some not so competent people figured in the list.
Continuing to sulk, he said the goings-on in the party "did not augur well" for NDA before the crucial Bihar elections. He also spoke of "bossy and vested interests" asserting "I cannot compromise with my dignity".
Though Shatrughan Sinha used Yashwant's name, he is himself disgruntled.
CP Thakur went public today saying the team should have been balanced and Maharashtra has been given more importance.
"Injustice has been done to me. My contribution to the party is definitely not less than that of others...It should have been a balanced team. The list should be revised," Thakur said.
Hussain, who was tipped to be a general secretary, is also unhappy as he would have to work under chief spokesperson
Ravi Shankar Prasad. Hussain was a union minister in the NDA
regime while Prasad was a minister of state and the former
considers himself a senior.
Moreover, Prasad has been made a general secretary adding salt to Hussain's wounds.
Interestingly, Shatrughan, Thakur and Hussain are from Bihar which goes to polls in October. Their personal grievances may affect the party's prospects, feel some party leaders.
Hussain kept away from a meeting of the spokespersons convened by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj at the behest
of Prasad. Sources said when Swaraj called him about the
meeting he said he was unwell and could not attend.
However, his grievances are known to the party top brass. Sources said Hussain himself is planning to take up the matter with Gadkari when he arrives in the capital.
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