Vyapam aftermath: BJP ousts most party secretaries in Madhya Pradesh

NEW DELHI: BJP’s central leadership has removed three-fourths of its organisational secretaries, or ‘sangathan mantris’, in Madhya Pradesh in what is seen as a bid to minimise the impact of the Vyapam scandal on the party’s image.

As many as 17 out of 23 sangathan mantris, who are full-timers with RSS background stationed at various zones and districts across the state, have been purged in a single stroke despite stiff resistance from a strong section of entrenched leadership, party insiders said. ET has reviewed a list of the purged secretaries.

Sources said six people did not face the axe only because of their long associations and for want of suitable replace- ments. Sangathan mantris are crucial cogs in the cadre-based BJP and are supposed to be impartial elements coordinating party’s organisational activities in their respective zones and districts.

Sources said most of the ousted sangathan mantris were appointees of BJP’s state sangathan mantri Arvind Menon, an RSS pracharak, who has come to wield influence beyond the party into the administration and other spheres of governance.

"Such has been Menon’s grip that any such move has not succeeded in the past. It was only a strong resolve by Vinay Sahasrabuddhe (national vice-president in-charge of MP) and Ram Lal (national sangathan mantri) from the central leadership that could achieve it,” said a source from MP BJP.

MP BJP insiders alleged sangathan mantris have slowly become positions for rent-seeking and furthering their entrenched interests. BP leadership, how- ever, played down any link between the purge and the Vyapam scandal. “In any organisation, in order to avoid stagnancy and to create space for fresh blood we need to take overhaul of organisational re- sponsibilities,” Sahasrabuddhe told ET.