Article The colossus dwarfing himself (LK Advani who brought BJP to the great height by his political acumen, dedication and uprightness should not prove as a stumbling block in the party’s race for power in 2014) By Yash Bhasin The damage control exercise by BJP President Rajnath Singh and some other party leaders over the confusion created by party veteran LK Advani, implicitly preferring Shivraj Singh Chouhan over Narendra Modi, is hardly going to mitigate the impression gone through that there is going on a cold war within the BJP at highest level over the choice of priminsterial candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and Advani proving a stumbling block in the BJP’s race for power in the Center under Narendra Modi. It is particularly so when Advani himself has not come forward to clarify his remarks, despite the same raising a storm, with media creating hype over the same. In politics what matters more is the public perception of the happenings, actions and observations by the leaders rather than their real intention. Even MP Chief Minister Chouhan deflecting Advani’s praise for him and displaying utmost humility by stating that Modi is number one, while he is not even number three, with Chhatisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh as well as Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar being senior to him, is not going to undo the damage caused to the party by L K Advani’s indiscreet remarks. I have always great admiration for the veteran and presently senior most BJP leader LK Advani. I particularly admire him for his over half a century long political career remaining above board and unblemished. I have often praised him for his setting a noble precedent and example of Caesar’s wife being above suspicion. When he was sought to be implicated in Hawla racket in the Jain dairies, Advani resigned his Lok Sabha seat and declared that he would not seek any public post and not enter parliament till he is cleared of the mist created over his conduct. He stood by his pledge and vindicated himself, when he was absolved of the charge against him. Advani has also made a great contribution in strengthening first the Jan Sangh and then its present incarnation Bhartiya Janta Party. He can be credited with the saffron party being converted from a pressure group to the ruling party and even as the main opposition party in the country. He has served the party with utmost devotion and dedication during these long over 50 years. He can also be described as the architect of seating Attal Behari Vajpayee at the Prime Minister’s chair for 6 years. His loyalty to Vajpayee, whom he has always described as his icon and supreme leader of the party, is also remarkable. He willingly remained playing second fiddle to Vajpayee, through out their working together in politics, either in the opposition or as a ruling party, despite in many cases the right decision having been taken by Advani himself. My these impressions about Advani are further strengthened after recently reading his 940 pages voluminous autography “My Country, My Life”. Even when Advani was in the line of fire by his own party colleagues, the ideologically BJP’s mother organization RSS, besides his traditional detractors over his remarks made in Pakistan about Mohammad Ali Jinah being a secular leader, I had great sympathy for him, despite my belief that his remarks about Jinah, even though true, were indiscreet for a political leader of the party, which was tooth and nail opposed to Two Nation Theory propounded by Jinah, which led to the partition of the country. The strong opposition to the country’s partition was the main plank of Jan Sangh, which never forgave even Mahatma Gandhi for conceding the same. But the latest role and indiscreet utterances by Advani have disappointed me and brought some disillusionment about him. The extreme energy, agility and untiring physical and mental stamina in LK Advani, which proved asset for himself and also for his party, even at his advanced age, is ironically proving a liability both for himself as well as for the party. Where as Attal Beharri Vajpayee getting physically unfit at his advanced age has virtually retired from politics, keeping his gentlemanly visionary, all accommodating and non controversial image intact, Advani with still being physically quite fit and mentally alert, even at the age of 86, appears to be still entertaining the ambition to occupy the highest chair in the political executive of the country and to be counted among the former prime ministers after his death. At least this is the general impression created among the observers from his utterances and statements. Until, he reads the writing on the wall and get reconciled to whatever status and position he has already achieved in the party and the country, I fear he may not end up as a villain. On the occasion of his birthday celebrations last year Advani had stated that the love and recognition that he has received in the party and from the people in the country is a higher reward for him than becoming prime minister of country. Hope Advani will stand up to his these observations and gracefully opt out of the race for the post of prime minister. Advani is well aware of the pitfalls of over riding ambition with a leader to become country’s prime minister and he has mentioned about the same in his autobiography, how Chaudhary Charan Singh and later Chandershekhar caused a great loss to the flourishing of democracy and to the country, in their no hold barred fight for occupying the chair of prime minister of the country. He is not expected to repeat the mistakes committed by Chaudhary Charan Singh and Chandershekhar, both of whom also dented their own image and have gone down in the history for their negative role. In the damage control exercise undertaken by BJP President Rajnath Singh at Hyderabad, on June 3, he was flanked among others by the ardent Advani supporter Venkia Nadio. His other ardent supporter, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitely has already distanced himself from Advani and has been lately advocating declaring Modi as party’s prime minister candidate before 2014 Lok Sabha elections. This is an indication that Advani is getting isolated in his perceived opposition to Narendra Modi being declared as party’s candidate for the post of Prime Minister. Advani who till recently was a colossus of BJP is only dwarfing himself, by his indiscreet and controversial utterances. Advani is still regarded as the tallest leader of his party and commands respect, affection and admiration from other party leaders as well as the party rank and file. But his statements which are beyond the comprehension of common party workers and the people at large, are only creating confusion, besides denting his own image. Some of his observations advising the party in the recent past are in the best interest of the party to follow. His observation in the recent past that he is disappointed with the lack of discipline and dedication by the party men towards the party and the country and instead indulging in infighting may be quite sincere. But until, he creates an impression of himself being above ambition to occupy the prime slot in the political executive of the country, his these wise observations will be misconstrued and will not have the desired effect. He can still be a great asset to the party, if he opts to be the only guide and philosopher of the party, acting as a balancing and checking factor for the party leaders going wavered. But for this he shall have to declare himself out of the race for prime minister’s post. Another quality of Advani has been that he has during his stewardship of the party groomed many second rung party leaders and developed a large number of second line of party leadership. These include Narinder Modi also. Now he should not do and say anything which creates an impression of his competing with his own groomed leader.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:05:13 +0000
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