Infight within BJP overshadows developmental activities

Infighting among “disciplined” leaders of the BJP is badly affecting developmental activities in the Jammu region as party ministers are not ready to even share dais with each other due to their “egos”. Today, a high-level meeting was convened by Minister of State (MoS) in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh to lay online foundation stones of 222 roads projects, worth Rs 1,400 crore, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for the Udhampur-Doda constituency.
Foundation stones were laid for road projects from backward districts, including Kathua, Udhampur, Ramban, Reasi, Doda and Kishtwar.
Deputy CM Nirmal Singh, Forest Minister Choudhary Lal Singh and Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Ajay Nanda skipped the event despite the fact that they were formally invited by the department concerned because their presence was must. Sources in the BJP said it was only due to “ego-clash” that senior BJP ministers skipped today’s event despite that fact that foundation stones were laid for the road projects of their own constituencies as well.
“Today’s event was historic in the sense that foundation stones for 222 road projects in the one of the most underdeveloped and backward belts of the country were laid, all legislators of Udhampur-Doda constituency were formally invited to ensure their presence,” a source said, adding that the authorities involved in organising today’s event have even reserved seats for legislators and ministers who belong to this Parliamentary segment.
Congress legislators Aziz Khan and Mumtaz Khan were present in the event but BJP ministers, due to infighting among them, preferred to stay away. Deputy CM, Forest Minister and MoS Law Minister’s assembly constituencies namely Billawar, Basholi and Reasi fall under the Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary seat, but they did not turn up for the event.
The sources said all legislators of the Udhampur-Doda constituency, which consists of 17 Assembly segments barring MLAs of Kathua and Hiranagar, were invited for today’s event because their presence was must for laying the foundation stones of road projects in their respective constituencies. As foundation stones of roads projects under the PMGSY have already been laid for Kathua and Hiranagar Assembly segments, local MLAs were not invited for today’s event. Minister for Roads and Building Naeem Akthar and MoS for Roads and Buildings Sunil Sharma were also present.
Ministers give meet a miss
Deputy CM Nirmal Singh, Forest Minister Choudhary Lal Singh and Minister of State for Finance Ajay Nanda skipped the event despite the fact that they were formally invited for the high-level meeting to lay on-line foundation stones of 222 roads projects, worth Rs 1,400 crore, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for the Udhampur-Doda constituency. Highly-placed sources in the BJP said it was only due to “ego-clash” that senior BJP ministers skipped the event despite that fact that the foundation stones were laid for the road projects of their own constituencies as well.