“Now the BJP Manipur Pradesh is filled with fakes who do not know the party constitution, its ideology or the core agenda of the party. Self-seekers have overran the party”, says the party’s former chief spokesperson Ch Bijoy who had been expelled recently.
*TFM is rerunning the same old interview conducted on February 12 based on massive popular demand, this time with full transcript of the interview conducted by our own Executive Editor Paojel Chaoba.
TFM Report
Few days after the Bharatiya Janata Party Manipur Pradesh president A Sharda expelled him from the party for six years for alleged breach of party discipline, former chief spokesperson Ch Bijoy on February 12 candidly expressed dismay over the affairs of the party in the run-up to the Manipur Assembly Election 2022.
In an exclusive interview to The Frontier Manipur, Bijoy explained the sequence of events that have led to his expulsion from the primary membership of the party. He alleged that he was being expelled by those who had vested interests in the party.
The former BJP spokesperson said that under the party’s constitution, a party member can be expelled following certain procedures. And these procedure include, serving a call for explanation, discussion of the issue by state disciplinary action committee and forwarding the same to the central disciplinary action committee. Bijoy alleged that none of these were followed and that there was a conspiracy behind this action of the state BJP president.
Literally irked by the latest move by the state BJP, Bijoy felt that the party is now dominated by new faces whose contribution to the growth of the party in the state were almost nil or negligible. Most of these leaders are self-serving individuals. “I am not against BJP but I am against the state BJP members who are all fakes, and the original BJP members have been side-lined by power seeking individuals”, Bijoy said. The former BJP spokesperson was piqued by the state BJP’s rationale behind granting party tickets to some individuals.
He also intimately narrated how he was drawn to the BJP ideology since his university days in Delhi. He pointed out that the real BJP stood against black money, corruption and dynastic rule etc., and this stand of the party drew him towards self-less service in the last many years.
Full text of the interview on February 12, 2022.
Chaoba: Apart from being a loyalist of the BJP, you have taken a major role as a chief spokesperson after the BJP led government came to power in Manipur. So give us your reaction after the BJP expelled you yesterday for six years.
Bijoy: Yesterday at around 1 pm I was planning to conduct a press conference as a chief spokesperson of the BJP. A party colleague came and delivered the expulsion order to me. So, I briefed the media persons about my feelings on the development. To be honest, I was expecting some action from the party. Because during a press conference held on February 5, I had categorically announced that I won’t be supporting the official BJP candidate from Uripok assembly constituency, Kh Raghumani. Instead I will be choosing NOTA (None of the above). So accordingly, the local media carried that report.
I had taken that decision as a chief spokesperson of BJP because some time back, a phone call recording between Raghumani and one individual had gone viral. In it there is an objectionable statement made by Raghumani. He had said that BJP vice president Minabanta and spokesperson Bijoy won’t be getting the BJP ticket. They would be investing Rs 5 lakhs and would come to me for demanding Rs 10 lakhs, Raghumani had said in that phone call. It hurts my honour and self-esteem. I would have remained silent if it had not gone viral. But it had become a question of prestige for me if I had remained silent.
On January 12, before the announcement of tickets, chief minister N Biren Singh had called upon the eight intending candidates from Uripok assembly constituency along with three workers to build a consensus amongst us. Nongpoknganba did not come due to health issues, so seven of us were present. During that meeting I had categorically stated that I won’t be objecting to any candidates who got the ticket, except Raghumani. Because due to the viral phone call, my honour was at stake. If Raghumani got the ticket, many questions would arise, I had said. For me money is secondary. Integrity and honour are my first priority.
Another thing is that our honorable chief minister in his tweet on Feb 6 stated that BJP Mahila Morcha president Loteeka and myself had extended support to Raghumani. That hurt me because it was done without my consent. So I had voiced my objection to the chief minister himself. But, there were many hate comments regarding it on social media. So I convened a press conference and clarified my stand. The chief minister must be furious that I had taken such a stand. I also heard that he was angry. The party president had also called me. But I had stood my ground.
After all, I have made my own decision. I am a volunteer at the party. I have not taken any undue advantage from the party. I’m not someone who can be pushed around in the party.
Above this, the manner in which I was expelled itself violated the constitution of the party. An explanation call should be given answerable within 7-10 days. It should be handed over to the state disciplinary committee of the party. Expulsion should be done from Delhi, forwarded to the state president. It usually takes around one month. The hasty step taken by the state unit of the BJP is ignorant.
But for me I am relieved in a way. When my family and relatives come to express their sadness, I remain quite happy. Because, I am free to speak my mind for the rest of my life. Since my student days, I had always stood against corruption, black money and dynastic rule. I had joined the BJP for their stands on these things in the past.
There are several reasons for joining BJP. The late Arun Jaitley had helped me during my college days in 1975. After the emergency, I had heard the speech of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It had convinced me that it was my political party. In 1994 I had joined BJP and fought the election in 1995, though unsuccessfully. There were only 21 candidates for BJP in that election. BJP was not very popular in Manipur then. Above that, insurgent groups also vehemently opposed the party.
Still, there are many BJP old-timers trapped in the party. Many had also left. Now the state unit of the party is filled with fake BJP who do not understand the ethos of BJP.
For now, I will continue my crusade against corruption and black money. I won’t be joining any party as of now. I will be filing some cases against BJP. So it will become redundant if I join another party.
Chaoba: As you have mentioned, there has been a misuse of authority in the order expelling you. BJP as a party might be a good party but it seems there are certain people who are doing as they wish within the party. Could you please elaborate on those persons?
Bijoy: The BJP’s slogan “Nation first. Party second. Self last” has become a thing of the past. The number of people who are greedy for money is increasing in the party. One of the major issues of the party now is the election of the president of the BJP state unit. It has been quite long that a president has not been elected, but nominated from Delhi. But to maintain that it is democratic party, elections are held for booth level. So when the time comes for electing a new president, many who want the post would be running from post to pillar. First, they would go to the Seva Bharti at Nagamapal to persuade the RSS. While some would rush to Guwahati, others will go to Delhi. So ultimately, a president is selected at the mercy of someone. So he or she becomes duty bound to work under that someone. Ultimately, the president becomes powerless. And in Manipur there are several power centres in the BJP at the moment — one with the chief minister, another with the party president, another at Guwahati and one at the RSS.
An individual who used to be the president of BJP of Manipur was pressured to appoint a certain person as general secretary. But he denied it. So he was asked to resign. Ultimately, he heeded the pressure. So, the present trend in the state unit of the BJP promotes sycophancy.
Okram Joy also left the BJP and joined Congress after seeing these things. His words that the state unit of the BJP heeds to any outsiders even if he or she is insignificant is also true to some extent.
Chaoba: There was hue and cry over the allotment of BJP tickets for the ensuing election in the state. Could you elaborate on how fairly the deserving candidates were chosen?
Bijoy: I don’t know the mechanism in detail. But a lead doesn’t flutter without the wind blowing. I also heard from some candidates who were denied the tickets that they were going to ask for their money from someone afterwards. It might become public as well. Different games were played by the BJP leaders from outside for the allotment of party tickets. They assured them that a survey team would come and conduct surveys at different levels. I suspect that these surveys were never conducted.
Some leaders from Assam who had come to help the preparation for the election had also taken undue advantages from the intending candidates, it seems. They were taken as the survey teams by those who newly joined the party vying for tickets. I was even approached by someone. But I had rejected it.
Such surveys were mandatory in the past. But this time it was not, it seems.
Before the announcement of the ticket list, some lists of selected candidates came out from the chief minister’s office. It was later clarified that it was fake. But it was 90 percent accurate with the official list.
Another thing is that when the official list finally came out, the one uploaded by the chief minister in his Facebook page doesn’t have the signature of the national general secretary of the party. So it was evident that the list was prepared here and it was approved in Delhi. So it was clear that the chief minister had a big hand in preparing that list. It seems that the fake list was uploaded to taste the water.
Recently during the flag hoisting of RK Imo, CM Biren had said that tickets were allocated to those who saved the government. Why should tickets be given to those who tried to topple the government, the chief minister had said. It implied that he was in charge of allocating the party tickets this time. It would have been better if the chief minister had said that RK Imo and Henry Okram were given tickets for their roles in saving his government. Many MLAs who were involved in trying to topple the government still got the ticket. And why people like us who were not involved in it were denied the party ticket? For people like us they had allegedly said that we were not given the ticket because we were broke and nobody was behind us. But my campaign style is different. I believed that as someone who would be fighting the election on a ticket of the ruling party, I won’t be needing much funds. And besides, why was Nishikant and P Saratchandra denied the ticket? It is a double standard.
Chaoba: So as you have said that the tickets were given at the whims of the chief minister. Could it be said that the honourable CM Biren had chosen people who could be his team if the BJP formed the government and he became the chief minister?
Bijoy: I think that the ticket list reflects his effort in trying to secure his personal position. Not for the party, but to make sure that he becomes the chief minister. We cannot say about his thought process, but all these circumstances point to that. It was evident by his speech during RK Imo’s flag hoisting. The so-called survey was a big fraud.
The same thing happened in the 2017 election. Amit Shah was the then party national president. He had said that tickets would be given to those who can prop up the largest number of BJP flags in their constituencies. The present deputy chief minister also applied for the BJP ticket in 2017. He had the largest number of the BJP symbol plastered across the Uripok AC. But he was denied the party ticket.
Before the election model code of conduct was imposed BJP flags could be seen everywhere. It was the contribution of the intended candidates. The intending candidates were treated as use and throw. It was very unethical. That’s why I have recently said that BJP is a ‘use and throw party’.
Chaoba: So do you think that the resentment of those who were denied the party tickets would have a major factor in BJP’s claim of forming a government with a majority?
Bijoy: I believe so. The double engine is as such in which one is having a front gear and the other with back gear. I love Modi. But the so-called double engine government in the state is going to derail.
Aswinikumar of Thanga is a loyalist of the chief minister. He was even involved in the controversial issue regarding Th. Brinda. He is wealthy and has a large following it seems. But he was denied the party ticket. So how will the chief minister justify the decision as per his speech at RK Imo’s flag hoisting?
I’m a volunteer and nobody’s loyalist. I would oppose PM Modi if he imposed bad ideas. But his appeal during COVID was good. So I crowdfunded and distributed eatables to around 3,000 families.
Chaoba: People say that the policies and programmes of the BJP led government have not been able to be implemented fully in the state. Your comment on this.
Bijoy: PM Modi is a “Mahapurush”. I admire his intention. Modi’s government and Biren’s government cannot be compared. According to economists, the last five years have been governed without any policies apart from some fire fighting. The policies of the center were rebranded as personal policies here. There were reports of kits being confiscated from beneficiaries for not supporting the BJP. I am ashamed of those people who claimed to be BJP. I believe that one should not expect reciprocation while helping someone.
Chaoba: Could you comment on the possible formation of the next government and whether there will be a tussle for the chief ministership?
Bijoy: I don’t want to predict. But there were reports of the national leader rejecting his request to project himself as the chief minister. During his last visit, JP Nadda had said that Manipur will develop under the chief ministership of Biren. Amit Shah had also hinted such things during a virtual meeting. Consequently, Biren was happy. And then recently, Bhupendra Yadav and Sambit Patra had said that the next chief minister would be decided by the parliamentary board. So the national leaders have been giving mixed signals in this regard. So I think the question remains open.
Chaoba: Your message on your new crusade for a corruption free new Manipur.
Bijoy: There are some dedicated workers of mine in Uripok. Even they were surprised how I would be contesting the election without any huge sum of money. Of the around 7,000 families in Uripok, I was able to make contact with around 5,500 families. I also believed that I could have won the election without a huge sum of money. It would have shown a path to those who wanted to do clean politics, irrespective of political parties.
I am outspoken. So, while I was campaigning, I had often said that I would jailed those corrupt MLAs or ministers, irrespective of political parties. This might have also irked many. I had also said that a new jail will be constructed at Sajiwa. They won’t be provided food, but would be fed money.
Chaoba: So what would be your new role?
Bijoy: First, I would like to release those old-timers who remained trapped in the BJP. I would also like to clean up the rot in the major political parties in the state like Congress and BJP. I don’t know how long those individuals at Thambal Sanglen at present would remain when the BJP is out of power.
What I’m against is black money. I want people’s mandate. But I don’t want to become an MLA by spending huge sums of black money.
The then national president Venkaiah Naidu had once said that the cadre decides and the president presides. But now, the cadres are not given the opportunity to voice their opinion. Some leaders will come and collude with some individuals here and issue notifications.
Conspiracy and whispering campaigns are very high in the state unit of the BJP.
Money is important but not everything. Many wealthy candidates will lose in the upcoming election. PM Modi, someone who is against black money, allows BJP candidates to fight the election in Manipur using black money, then his stands also become questionable.
Chaoba: But you have been sort of supporting and defending such systems in the BJP. So, why are you coming out now?
Bijoy: Sometimes, I think I’m a very good soldier. When General Zia Ul Haq hanged Zulfiqar Ali, many condemned. But the then US president Ronald Regan said that General Zia Ul Haq is a son of bitch, but he is our son of bitch. There are many sons of bitches in our BJP, but I always thought that they are our sons of bithces. I worked under that philosophy. I was brought up to support my friend no matter what. I am not a saint. I was part of a political party, so I had to perform the duty I was assigned with. I was a spokesperson for the BJP for 26 years and performed my duties satisfactorily. That much I have contributed to the party which I love. The party evolved beyond recognition and I failed to evolve. It is a very big organisation but in certain areas I want to prove myself.