Advani’’s Resignation Most Unfortunate

ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE, FORMER PM

NARENDRA MODI, CM, GUJRAT

L. K. ADVANI, SENIOR BJP LEADER

I am terribly upset with news that L K Advani, the patriarch of the BJP has resigned from all the posts he holds in the BJP. This is most unfortunate. He has resigned from the Parliament Board, Election Committee and the National Executive of the Party.

Just a few hours back, when I finished wring this piece of blog, I commented with hope that sooner than later the Advani camp opposed to the appointment of Narendra Modi as the Chairman of the Election Campaign Committee of the BJP would reconcile and would fall in line. But this was not to happen.

Not only me but hundreds of thousands of BJP workers and supporters all over the country must have received this news with a jolt. How the architect of the Party can destroy the Party that he built ‘brick by brick’ At the same time it must be said that Advani was never a mass leader. The only mass leader till date is Atal Behari Vajpayee.

There was a time when Atal Behari Vajpayee was hailed as ‘Yuva Hriday Samrat’ – Darling of the Youth. As a young Party member, I noticed how Atalji attracted the youth in those days wherever he went. Right from the days of Jana Sangh to the formation of Bharatiya Janata Party, Atalji has always been leader of the masses and Lal Krishna Avani was always his number two in the Party. It was only after Atalji fell sick and he withdrew himself from active politics that Advaniji became number one in the BJP. But, Advaniji could never become a mass leader. He was given full opportunity in 2009 when the BJP contested elections under the leadership of Adaniji. Not only he led the party but he was also officially declared BJP’s prime ministerial candidate in 2009.

What was the result? The Party lost the elections. Its strength in the Lok Sabha came down from 138 seats in 2004 to 116 seats in 2009. The share of votes also declined from 22.16% in 2004 to 18.80% in 2009. The total number of candidates who lost their security deposits in 2004 was 57 whereas in 2009 under the leadership of Advaniji 170 candidates forfeited their deposits.

On the other hand Narendra Modi has emerged as a mass leader with large followings amongst the youth of the country. It will not be out of place to mention here that Modi is poised to be another ‘darling of the youth’. The people are clamouring for a strong leader to lead the country. Modi has all the qualities of a strong and decisive leader with a vision. Not only this, Modi has an unblemished record of running the government in Gujarat without any scandal or any charge of corruption. In sharp contrast, the Congress led UPA government is mired in corruption and so are the chief ministers of the Congress ruled states.

In Goa, there was total unanimity amongst the delegates to announce that it is Modi who would lead the campaign in next general elections. If there was some murmuring it was from the camp followers of Advaniji. The Party President Rajnath Singh announced the decision to appoint Modi as the Chairman of the Election Campaign Committee only after an overwhelming majority of the BJP workers, supporters and leaders wanted this decision to be taken at the Goa conclave.

Now that the Party has reposed its faith in the leadership of Narendra Modi, it is high time some Central leaders of the BJP who are upset with the decision to reconcile and stop bickering. Question of BJP leading the next government is possible only when the Party is able to win sufficient number of seats in the next Lok Sabha. This is possible only when senior leaders who are opposed to Modi’s leadership should fall in line and extend full support to Gujrat chief minister.

On Sunday he news from Goa sent tremors in the Congress camp. In less than 24 hours there is jubilation in the Congress camp to see fire in the Opposition camp.

~R. K. Sinha