The inside story: Rajiv Pratap Rudy's Constitution Club win unveils BJP's Delhi vs UP divide

Six-time MP and BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy’s re-election to the post of the Constitution Club secretary (administration) on Tuesdday revealed the serious infighting within the party, which saw Rudy take on fellow BJP leader Sanjeev Balyan. Rudy, who was at the helm of the Constitution Club for over 25 years, was credited with transforming the infrastructure of the Club.

The electoral battle, which saw several BJP leaders, including Nishikant Dubey, rally for Balyan, was pitted as pro-Rudy vs anti-Rudy by many. Interestingly, the chatter was that Balyan entered the fray on the instructions of Home Minister Amit Shah. Dubey’s open support for Balyan and Amit Shah and BJP leader J P Nadda arriving to vote added impetus to the speculation.

Rumours were that Rudy’s candidature was covertly supported by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, and he had chosen to highlight his Bihari identity. Dubey and MP from Andhra Pradesh CM Ramesh openly sought votes for Balyan, making the contest tight for Rudy. It was expected that English-speaking MPs supported Rudy while MPs from rural regions, including the Jats, Ahirs, and Gujjars, backed Balyan.

But as the tug of war intensified, the opposition, including Congress and SP, felt that this was a big opportunity to defeat Amit Shah’s candidate. Some believe this was why Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge decided to vote. Through the move, the Opposition planned to give a big blow to the BJP’s real candidate, Balyan.

A total of 707 votes were cast, out of which Rudy got 354 direct votes and 38 postal ballots. He is said to have won the elections with a majority of over 100 votes. “Everyone rose from their party lines and cast their vote. My panel had people from the Congress, SP, TMC, and independent MPs. I got the result of my efforts in the last two decades," Rudy said after his victory.  Congress MP Rajiv Shukla became the secretary (sports) while DMK MP Tiruchi Siva became the secretary (culture) of the club.

While Rudy’s victory is being seen as a battle of Delhi BJP vs UP BJP in political circles. The opposition is seeing it as its victory against the government. At the same time, there is also a plan to put the BJP on the back foot by linking Rudy's victory to Bihari identity ahead of the Bihar elections.

India