Lodhi leadership: ‘Uma, Patel rivalry costs BJP bypoll’
The ongoing “tussle” between two veteran saffron leaders, Uma Bharti and Prahlad Singh Patel, for the leadership of Lodhi community and growing influence of Lodhi community leaders in BJP are being seen as the major causes of BJP’s defeat in the Damoh Assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh, sources said on Tuesday. Besides, the brewing resentment among the local leaders over “electoral accommodation” of “party hoppers” by the leadership at the cost of interest of core cadres of BJP are also key factors of setback to the saffron party, said sources.
Sources said that Union tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel, who represents Damoh Lok Sabha constituency, had campaigned extensively for BJP candidate Rahul Lodhi in the by-elections to Damoh Assembly seat. It sparked unease in the camp of former Union minister and senior BJP
◗ leader Uma Bharti.
Sources said that the camp of Ms Bharti, who has hitherto enjoyed support among her community, Lodhi, in Madhya Pradesh saw Mr Patel as her emerging rival following the latter’s induction in the Union Cabinet and subsequent growth in his BJP stature.
According to sources, Ms Bharti, who stayed away from 2019 Lok Sabha polls seeking a “brief sabbatical” from electoral politics, was trying a comeback to the centrestage of MP politics by consolidating her base among the Lodhi community.
Her camp was of the view that Mr Patel may create a roadblock for her by emerging as the leader of Lodhi community.
Lodhis constitute around six percent of total population of Madhya Pradesh and are in a position to influence elections in nearly 30 Assembly segments.
The BJP candidate’s victory in Damoh would have established Mr Patel as “undisputed” leader of Lodhis in MP since the community constituted around 35% of the population of the constituency, a senior BJP leader who belongs to Lodhi community told this newspaper.
Besides, the brewing resentment among the local leaders over ‘electoral accommodation’ of ‘party hoppers’ by the leadership at the cost of interest of core cadres of BJP are also key factors of setback to the saffron party, said sources.