The Tale of Two Leaders

Over the years if there is one thing that the BJP and its top political leadership have failed to achieve is probably to let LK Advani sit at the Prime Minister’s chair. His overzealous desire of capturing the top job of the country is probably the most vocal compared to any other leader. Yet years after years, elections after elections, he is always the one biting the bullet and sacrificing his ambitions for the greater good of the country. It is not hidden from any of us that due to his polarizing nature back in 1996, he supported the candidature of Shri Atal Vihari Vajpayee for the post of the Prime Minister as the party was not able to gather enough allies. 18 years since then, the party stalwart this time seems too adamant to sacrifice his ambitions, thereby keeping some room for him to hit back at the country’s top job.

LK Advani’s continuous reservation has now put the much hyped official coronation of Narendra Modi as BJP prime ministerial candidate is in some doubt now. The internal conflict of opinion within the top leadership of the party has not been resolved and under the circumstances, party president Rajnath Singh can ill afford to call a meeting of the Parliamentary Board on the issue and let the divide within be debated bitterly among the senior most leaders that too in a structured meeting of 12-member party’s highest decision making body. While there is no doubt that the issue is being intensely debated within the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, the consultations, particularly given the strong and continued reservations of LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi, had not reached a point where the availability or convenience of members of Parliamentary Board could be sought or the dates for convening a meeting be discussed.

While the principal opposition is restless to name Narendra Modi as their Prime Ministerial candidate and the party’s top brass backfiring, the man who would be in the spotlight is BJP President Rajnath Singh. The current situation puts Rajnath Singh‘s skills as a leader and capabilities as the party chief under a severe test. He has been the most outspoken and ardent supporter of Modi’s elevation as the supreme leader of the party and official prime ministerial nominee for the opposition NDA. As party president he also has to deliver it, issuing the notification with his sign and seal – converting Modi’s de-facto position in the party into a de-jure position. But that can only be done if he has the parliamentary board’s approval on his side. So when Rajnath Singh drove to 30 Prithviraj Road, LK Advani’s residence, at 12.30 on Wednesday, there was great of expectation within and outside of Sangh Parivar. Half-an-hour later Singh left with his mission unaccomplished. He was apparently perplexed, even anxious to find a way of clinching the issue without creating an in-house blood bath.

If sources are to be believed, Advani did not move from his position on the issue and was arguing hard as to why it was not in the best interests of the party to declare Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate at this stage, ahead of assembly elections for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram where except for the north-eastern states, the BJP and the Congress were pitted head to head. No date for convening a Parliamentary Board meeting was discussed in the Advani – Rajnath meeting. Singh will be meeting Joshi and Sushma separately, trying to take them on board. A structured meeting of the parliamentary board can only be called if unanimity on the issue among all members is achieved. Any forced announcement after an open fratricidal feud would neither be in Modi’s or in the BJP’s interest.

According to sources, exactly a week ago, last Wednesday; RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat had come to Advani’s home for dinner. Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj had also been there. They had a free and frank discussion on the issue that has gripped the nation’s attention. Bhagwat conveyed to them what his deputy, Bhaiyaji Joshi had conveyed to Advani, Sushma and Rajnath only two days ago – that based on their feedback and informed considerations the RSS was of the opinion that Modi should be declared as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. Advani and Sushma told Bhagwat that they had already conveyed why they felt the time was not yet right yet to make a formal announcement of Modi’s contention for the top post to Bhaiyaji Joshi. As it was, Modi was already face of the BJP’s campaign for 2014, he was the man in focus and as such there was not much that his formal announcement could add to shape the popular mood than the benefits that the party was getting now.

What is interesting to note is what RSS leader Ram Madhav said, “The country wants a change and we also realise it. During the two-day meeting between RSS and BJP this issue came up and it has been conveyed to the leadership in the party. Now the decision has to be taken by them but from our side the message has been given that the voters in the country want a change. When we say people want a particular change, it is obvious that the support and respect of the people is for which person and for which post. This is clear to all.” But the RSS did not set any timeline for the BJP to do that. The mighty RSS and the sentiment of their party’s rank and file are on their side. But can the BJP President and other Modi protagonists bulldoze Advani, the man who is credited to have built the party from a negligible two to the strength of becoming the ruling party, to submission or to the oblivion, is the key question? No one in the BJP has an answer to that but they all say that would not be the ideal take off situation for the old man’s one time protégé, Modi. 

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