The persistent tussle within the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit has resurfaced once again ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections in 2020.
On Tuesday, a BJP delegation led by former Union Minister Vijay Goel staged a sit-in at the water department headquarters at the Delhi Jal Board office demanding that the utility find an immediate solution to the water woes in the national capital.
However, there are reports of a tussle between Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and senior leader Vijay Goel as it turns out that the former union minister did not inform the Delhi BJP president about his decision to gherao the DJB headquarters.
When asked if he was informed about the DJB gherao, Manoj Tiwari said: "There is nothing to know. Such things are known to everybody."
The Delhi BJP on Wednesday held a weekly meeting to chalk out strategies on how to defeat Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in the coming Assembly elections. Several leaders were spotted at this meeting including North-West Delhi MP Hansraj Hans and MLAs OP Sharma and Vijender Gupta. However, Vijay Goel did not attend the meeting.
On why the Rajya Sabha MP chose to skip the meeting, Tiwari said: "Thirty-eight people did not attend the meeting today. Vijay Goel was one of them. He must be working. All party workers are."
The biggest problem ahead of the BJP is factionalism within the party. According to sources, Tiwari is not on good terms with Goel. Sources within the party have also mentioned that the tussle between the two is over the chief ministerial face.
There have been reports of rifts between Vijay Goel and Manoj Tiwari in the past as well. The two are often spotted leading different campaigns on the same issue in Delhi. It would be interesting to see if the two leaders are able to call a truce or continue locking horns over the upcoming elections.