Dissent in Jammu BJP: Ram Madhav to review party ministers’ work

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav is expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir this Thursday and Friday to review the performance of party ministers in the state government.

The visit assumes significance as BJP ministers are accused of poor performance, an allegation that could erode its massive vote-base in the Jammu region.

The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), an apex organisation of industrialists, called a strike on Monday against what it called “non-performance” of BJP ministers and “sheer discrimination” against the region.

The BJP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule the restive state. The BJP won 25 seats in the 2014 assembly elections from Jammu and it has eight cabinet and three ministers of state, including deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh.

The PDP has 13 ministers, including chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

A delegation of the trade association lodged a complaint with Union home minister Rajnath Singh against the BJP ministers during his visit to Jammu last week.

The association is upset with BJP state president Sat Sharma’s alleged remarks in news channel that “a few complaints to the minister (Singh) do not matter”.

But party leader in the region are also unhappy with the ministers. “Leave aside the people, second-rung leaders and party workers feel alienated over the way BJP ministers are working,” one of them said.

The resentment prompted the BJP high command to depute Ram Madhav and another general secretary, Ram Lal, to look into the complaints.

Ram Lal visited the state recently.

State part chief Sharma said Ram Madhav’s two-day visit is routine. “Besides organisational matters, performance of ministers shall be reviewed by him.”

He said party ministers, office-bearers and cadre continue are working positively. “In three years of rule, development work worth thousands of crores of rupees were sanctioned and are being implemented expeditiously,” he said.