The event was remarkable simply because it was such a low-key affair. At a nondescript press conference, the party's candidate for Prime Minister was announced... the BJP ahead... the NDA allies sheepishly behind.First of all, the BJP owes it to him. If there is a reward for unflinching loyalty and exemplary service, he must have it. Time and again, he has stepped out of the closeted environs of New Delhi into the rough and tumble of the dirt road. And he is the one who got them to New Delhi in the first place. In doing so, he built a formidable party organization that dislodged the Gandhi dynasty from the seat of power and gave it back to the people. At the same time, his opinions and utterances had in them considerable divisive power; Advani embodies both a relentless political will and a surpassing political acumen. Advani, in stark contrast to (and as a perfect foil for) Vajpayee, never chose to obfuscate, always delivering his message in no uncertain terms: from Janmabhoomi to Jinnah.
And yet, Advani is a "bad" choice. That is because Advani's nomination has nothing to add to the BJP's support. In Gujarat, Narendrabhai was the face of the BJP that drove millions of otherwise peaceful right-minded people to look beyond the terrible events of 2002 and vote for development, for progress and freedom from corruption. In Rajasthan, the Rani's grassroots appeal brought the BJP a majority of its own for the very first time. And in Madhya Pradesh, the rustic, rabble rousing Uma Bharati became the darling of the masses. Atal ji's reassuring presence was a source of constant solace for the BJP during its most troubled years in power. Advani has none of that. The appeal of the dynasty is far greater.
The media did not know what to make of this incident. Preoccupied as they were with the ongoing elections in Gujarat (though a significant section of them seemed to be living in 2002 rather than 2007 throughout the process), they hastened to argue that the nomination was a tactic meant to cut Modi down to size. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Advani understood that his consecration might make the NDA allies grumble and so he calculated the move so as to precede two emphatic victories for the BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The gambit has worked for him. In doing so, Advani, the master strategist has, yet again, placed himself one step ahead of the media and the general public. It is this unique ability that gives me hope.
And yet, my pick for Prime Minister remains the endearing Sushma Swaraj!
2 comments:
Will Narendra Modi ever become a prime-ministerial candidate for the BJP? His position at present is exactly the same as Advain's position 10 years back, when BJP first tasted power at the center. Even though Advani was the man behind BJP's success, the coalition politics ensued that BJP had to put up a more liberal face in the form of Vajpayee to head the government. The "stains" of Godhra will not be easy for Modi to wash off, just as the stains of Ayodhya have not been easy for Advani to wash off.
Absolutely, I think Modi definitely has a chance of becoming a Prime Ministerial candidate. Modi has reworked his image deftly over the five years he has been in power. There is no reason to believe he cannot continue to do more of the same. Also with Advani, the choice of Vajpayee was right at hand and the BJP or its alliance partners may not have an alternative to Modi in the future. In fact, Vajpayee himself had been in the thick of the Ayodhya incident; we all remember his "zameen ko samtal karna hoga" remark don't we? The truth is Vajpayee did a better job of washing off the stains of Ayodhya than Advani did and Joshi never really made any headway whatsoever. My point is that the NDA allies cannot stay outside the "saffron orbit" indefinitely, they know well that they are in the BJP's image already. By the time Modi starts thinking about running for PM, the allies will have accepted their "communal tag" reluctantly.
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