RSS, BJP insiders feel Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari has lot on his hands before polls

New Delhi: Expressing disappointment with Delhi's BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, ahead of the Assembly polls in the national capital, the RSS has said under his leadership BJP may end up “losing an election that the party can easily win”.

Not only the Sangh but several BJP leaders and workers of the Delhi unit are upset with the way the actor-turned-politician MP is leading the state unit, a senior RSS functionary told The Print.

“Tiwari doesn’t have Sangathan (organisational post) experience but he has been needlessly interfering in the functioning of the Sangathan,” the functionary said.

“When he was brought to the state unit, the idea was this would take care of the in-fighting as an outsider was being given charge and it would garner Purvanchali votes too. However, not much seems to have happened,” he added.

According to sources, few members of the RSS were also not happy with Tiwari’s decision to recruit dancer Sapna Chaudhary into the state unit. “You can’t run a party like an orchestra. You can’t win elections by singing. He (Tiwari) has to reach out to people,” said a BJP leader to The Print.

“Most Delhi BJP presidents used to sit daily for at least an hour in the party office but he’s simply not accessible. The state unit needs to take all leaders on board and then devise a strategy but everyone here is left to fend for themselves,” the leader added.

“If they want to win Delhi elections they need to put the state unit in order,” said another RSS functionary. “Workers are completely demotivated.”

Concerns were also raised on the in-fights in state unit for the leadership. Another BJP leader said too many leaders are staking claim to clinch the seat of BJP's Delhi chief seat, which “has made it directionless” and infighting have increased.

According to the leader, some are planning to raise the issue with the central leadership with the demand for a new Delhi BJP president.

Manoj Tiwari was appointed as the state party chief on November 30, 2016. And according to BJP's constitution, his term will expire in coming November.

After his tenure ends, he can be re-elected to power for one more term.

The elections for the new state president will be held by the end of the November. Former MLA Pawan Sharma along with Bhola Nath Vij will handle the organisational elections.  

A section of the state unit, however, believe that replacing Tiwari when assembly election is within a few months, it won't be a sane thing to do. “There is also talk in the party that a number of MPs and other leaders are displeased because the state unit is not keeping them in the loop,” the leader told The Print.

Last time in 1998, with Sushma Swaraj as the chief minister, BJP was all-powerful at the capital. After being away for more than two decades, BJP is desperate to clinch the Assembly polls. Hopes are high after its massive victory in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has been appointed as the election in-charge for Delhi.