BJP meet bares open rift between Koshiyari, Khanduri

Dehradun: The rift between two senior Uttarakhand BJP leaders -- Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and B C Khanduri-- came out in open during the state executive meeting in Roorkee, putting the saffron party in a tight spot ahead of the polls in the hill state.
According to party sources, both the former BJP chief ministers adopted a "combative approach" during the meeting.
A BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said: “The message that goes out due to these public display of resentment is certainly not good in the election time.There is already some resentment among party leaders after some Congress MLAs joined the BJP. It is disturbing.”
Hinting at bigger trouble for the BJP, he said that both the leaders are senior and the party has no one to replace them.
Koshiyari is MP from Nainital and has a big following in Kumaon.
Party insiders say that without Koshiyari, making inroads in Kumaon region would be a daunting task for the party during the polls.
While the Congress is focusing on Kumaon and CM Harish Rawat may contest from the region.
Meanwhile, the popularity of Khanduri can be gauged by the fact that a section of the BJP wants him to be the CM candidate.
On the other hand, the party sources claimed that the high command in Delhi is hinting at not declaring any CM candidate before the polls.
“Koshiyari attacked leaders who are junior both in age and stature, so it reflects his anger. Whatever he said, was not needed,” said another BJP leader.
Khanduri, in his address, clearly said that the BJP lost 2012 poll because of the internal feuds and not because of the Congress.
The thundering applause that the Khanduri's address got revealed how the cadre is worried about the internal feuds, ahead of the polls.
BJP spokesperson Munna Singh Chauhan, however, dismissed the reports of internal feud in the party.
“It was the state executive committee meeting where members gave their opinion and guided everyone.”