Neither much experience is needed nor is seniority required for leading the crisis-struck BJP! The only condition is the assurance that one is adherent to the party’s imported ideology and is a supporter of the ideologist; RSS.
It may seem foolish but reality should be accepted. The post-Lok Sabha debacle BJP went through in the wake of the second consecutive defeat in the general elections, shook the very foundation of the party. Besides, the leadership of the party its ideology too was held responsible for the defeat. RSS, which allegedly sent its members to campaign for BJP during the elections, in no way accepted the responsibility for defeat while some party leaders murmured that the outfit caused people, cast their votes against the party. The attempt to revive the party by allocating president portfolio to Nitin Gadkari, some believe, will distant public from BJP.
Of course, Gadkari, 52, fits in the RSS frame for BJP president which refuses the aged ones like Keshubhai Patel and Murli Manohar Joshi. But, what played the instrumental in his selection for post is hidden in his deep relations with RSS. Can anyone, then, opine that despite being in crisis BJP still could not liberate itself from caste-based Hindutva ideology?
Nitin Gadkari, BJP President
It might be taken into consideration here that Nitin Gadkari happens to be from a middle class Deshastha Brahmin family. It served as a plus point for him as Brahmins, according to Hindu ideology have been born to govern. The disciplined soldier of RSS Gadkari had been attached to Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and student union wing of ABVP. Moreover, he hails from Nagpur, the RSS headquarter. Gadkari maintained his close proximity with the RSS leadership right from the days of the then RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras and later with Rajju Bhaiyya, K C Sudarshan and the current head of the organisation Mohan Bhagwat. Both Gadkari and Bhagwat are from Maharashtra.
Owing to all these distinctions he was unanimously elected BJP president on December 19. It is said that Bhagwat has a great role in Gadkari’s appointment the party president. One may ask why a state level leader like Gadkari was given the post while there was no scarcity of national leaders in the party.
Experienced Mukhtar Abbas Naqwi Was Ignored
Take for example, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the current national vice President of Bhartiya Janata Party. Naqvi-52 years, 2 months- is younger than Gadkari-52 years and 6 months. If the intention of BJP was the replacement of aged ones by Gen-next, Naqvi should have been the best choice. There mere work to be done was to upgrade him to the president post. But, the problem perhaps lies in his being a member of minority community and also he is not a Brahmin.
Vinay Katiyar Was Not Made President
With the age of 55 years and one month, Vinay Katiyar, presently National General Secretary of BJP and the founder-President of Bajrang Dal too should have been considered for the president post. But, he was from Uttar Pradesh not Maharashtra; the native place of RSS Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagawat.
Even the poster boy of BJP Narendra Modi, 59 years, 3 months, a non-Brahmin, was not selected for the post. It is despite the fact that he has been a quite perfect man fulfilling the criterion of being a Hindutva supporter. He is responsible for genocide of Muslims in Gujarat; a step Hindutva organizations want to eliminate minorities from democratic India.
It is correct that Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, 41, cannot be compared to Nitin Gadkari but, at least, he belongs to the young generating of BJP leaders. Yes Nitin Gadkari served as a successful PWD Minister during the Sena-BJP’s 1995-99 regime. That he built 55 flyovers in Mumbai and roads all over the state has drawn plenty of kudos from his supporters. But, one deep thought reveals that praise is baseless. Consider for a moment, 55 flyovers in one city! It is more concerning especially in a state like Maharashtra where farmers are committing suicide out of starvation and burden of debt. While Gadkari was never elected to Lok Sabha, Shahnawaz Hussain had this honour in 1999. While being in Delhi he organized rickshaw-pullers and fought for the rights of the poor hailing from his home state of Bihar. He candidly voiced against the poor and poverty-stricken image of those hailing from the state.
It remains unanswered why, in the presence of such leaders, Gadkari was elected for the post. Gadkari a state level leader who has neither wielded authority at the national level—when he took over as the party chief he himself said that he was going to see Delhi for the first time—nor does he enjoy a national standing, which might have helped.
The most goes to his favour is that he served as general secretary of Maharashtra BJP unit, opposition leader in the state Legislative Council and also in later days as state president of BJP.
The above analysis shows that the point which was considered while electing the new president of Bhartiya Janata Party was that president should be one bearing RSS mentality and thus carrying the agenda of the outfit.
However, an in-depth study of the current situation of Indian society will reveal that this will alienate BJP from public support. As a matter of fact, majority of Indians, including Hindus, do not believe in the divisive policies of RSS which its political wing BJP has no choice but to follow blindly.
Gadkari Has To Save Sinking BJP
A very tough task is lying before the newly elected BJP president Nitin Gadkari. He not only has to regain the confidence of its Hindu supporters but also appease the minorities by changing the party’s ideology.
Will it be so? Just after his appointment as BJP president Gadkari has hinted that the party will welcome notorious Kalyan Singh, Uttar Pradesh CM when Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992, and Uma Bharti, who took the “moral responsibility” for the demolition. This step of Gadkari is seen as an effort to enforce RSS line in BJP.
By: Arolda Rose
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