Gadkari fumes at lack of support from BJP leaders

Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari is reportedly upset about the fact that he has been left high and dry by party leaders in the wake of the corruption allegations made against him by activist Arvind Kejriwal and by certain media reports.

Senior party leaders who had promised to come to his defence have now backed out, leaving the BJP president fuming.

The ministry of corporate affairs and the income tax department have launched probes to trace the source of funding of various firms that invested in Gadkari's company Purti Power and Sugar Limited.

Purti Power, a firm owned by Gadkari, is reportedly located on paper at a non-existent address. His driver, claim media reports, is named as the director of six companies.

Gadkari's efforts to get Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat's support has, however, paid off. The RSS chose to distance itself from the entire issue, saying it was an internal matter of the BJP.

In fact the BJP chief, beleaguered by the persistence of the media, has decided to avoid visiting Delhi for the day.

The allegations levelled against Gadkari have definitely affected the party's campaign against corruption, especially in Himachal Pradesh, where state polls are scheduled to be held next year.

"Our campaign for the state assembly elections has suffered because of Gadkari'," conceded a senior BJP leader.

Though L K Advani has backed Gadkari, the party patriarch has ruled out any immunity for those indulging in corruption. Speculations are rife in Delhi's political circles that Advani may be considering replacing Gadkari as the BJP president.