I have been resisting (successfully) from writing anything on the ongoing BJP
troubles, but the way everything is going I wanted to put my thoughts in
perspective...probably I can reflect back on them once the storm has died down.
2004....NDA loses the general elections to everybody's surprise..even to the
surprise of Congress. It was a loss..yes, but was manageable as the loss in seats
was not too much when compared to the results in 1999. It was mainly the loss of TDP and other regional allies that hurt the most. Vajpayee was an able leader and I'll curse my luck till I live that we did not have him as the PM again in 2004.
BJP coul not cope up with this defeat...
2009....Another general election and BJP lost it miserably. I am saying BJP and not NDA as this time BJP was the main loser. Its allies ofcourse lost but the percentage lost by BJP was higher.
The hidden volcanoes (or should I say the self-created-bloated-eog-volcanoes) erupted. Before I move further I must admit that it was wrong for Advani to continue as the Opposition leader. he should have taken responsibility and made way to the next generation. It would have sent ht right message to party cadres and would have also pressurised Rajnath to step down.
Ok...Jaswant and Jinnah, Yashwant and his big mouth etc....all this has happened. Jaswant was expelled..I regard him high for his abilities both as external affairs minister and finance minister. But his Jinnah book was not meant for Indian politics. The political(and read Media here too) cannot separate personal academic intersts and politics. He had to go and he was expelled...what caused the furore was that he was expelled by a leadership that itself had little moral authority to do so.
Yashwant has been 1 of the most opportune politicians...BJP would do good to rid him too...I would still keep Arun Shourie as he is an intelligent and well read man and has interest of the country and the party.
After all the hue and cry came Mohanrao Bhagwat. Mediamen pounced on him at a press conference in New Delhi. What role does RSS play here...what was RSS doing for BJP...like a pack on hungry wolves they pounced on him..but to his credit he didn't give anything to them and nor to the congress.
whatever happens now...I just want to keep Bhagwat in the picture. BJP leadership should have done what Bhagwat did all these years. The main problem with BJP is that there are too many mouths that want to speak and theya re eager to say what the media wants...gullible to an extent. Why not have designated people who are calm, composed and give out things only that they want to....let them assume whatever they want but dont blurt out whatever....
I am 100% confident that BJP is going to come out of this mess...leaner and stronger..with a more focussed leadership. Let Rajnath go into the shadows...let Advani guide as a mentor..he has been good at it and ma sure he will still be able to do it..after all I find his contribution bigger than Vajpayee's when it comes to building the party. Let someone like Jaitley, Swaraj, Shourie, Khanduri, Raman Singh, Shivraj, Modi take up the leadership....BUT with a goal to REbuild the party..
India needs a very strong opposition...specially with Congress ruling the country in a dangerous fashion. 5 years gives enough time to refocus...take each assembly election as the stepping stone...exepriment in the assembly elections...choose the right allies...play it alone in states where allies are not reliable...BJP has paid the price more because of the follies of its allies than because of itself (excpet in 2009). Build base....in fact the base is already there...just bring confidence back into them. Let India be stronger with a strong party.
Note:
Subject line quote by Abraham Lincoln
