After prolonged speculation and fears of protracted stalemate, the BJP National Executive in its Goa meet anointed Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi as its Election Campaign Committee Chairman for the 2014 parliamentary elections. The formal announcement to this effect came almost at the fag end of the address of BJP Chairman to the National Executive. Though technically, elevation of Modi is still a step behind his nomination as NDA prime ministerial candidate as is also expressed by at least one NDA ally viz. JD (U), nevertheless it seems the BJP has managed to break the impasse. Personal equations apart, a message has gone across the NDA allies that they will have to make up their mind about Modi as the potential prime ministerial candidate for forthcoming parliamentary elections. Within the higher echelons of BJP, opinion about anointing the Gujarat Chief Minister has been swinging and swerving for some time. But all speculations and surmises have now been set at rest. The announcement may cause some rumbling within the party but that will be both negligible and ineffective.
Looking in retrospect, we find that Gujarat Chief Minister’s triumph in three successive assembly elections was not palatable to Congress. This attitude is determined more by political reflex than by the realities on the ground. Congress’ chagrin against Modi intensified when it failed to elicit any judicial censure pronouncing Modi’s “criminalities” in various cases, mostly false and fabricated, that were framed against him. Congress should have ungrudgingly accepted Modi’s hat trick at assembly polls as eye-catching victory of Indian democratic and secular dispensation and not made it a bilateral contentious issue for mainstream national political parties. When Deobandi Muslim religious leadership gave credit to remarkable development of Gujarat under Modi, Congress felt frustrated by dangerous dent in its unique version of secularism. For last many years, “crush Modi” became its one-point agenda in Gujarat. It was a mistake on the part of country’s foremost and historic political party of great repute.
The path is cleared for Modi to take final leap to the pinnacle of political power in the country. In all probability, consensus of opinion developed in the National Executive on the basis of realization that only strong, dynamic and comparatively younger central leadership could pilot country’s ship in turbulent waters. Keeping in view the current political scenario in the country, the National Executive was resolved to develop consensus of opinion, which fortunately for BJP has come at the end of the day. Senior parity leader L.K. Advani, though not reconciled to the elevation of Modi, had to fall in line with the majority decision. Perhaps time and space could not uphold his perceptions or aspirations.
Having broken the stalemate, the party has two vital tasks to address right now. One is to keep its allies in tight embrace by respecting their political sensitivities and nuances, and the second is to hammer out a convergent manifesto for 2014 Parliamentary elections. The thrust of the party naturally has to be on the areas, which it identified as the Achilles heel of Congress rule. BJP’s resolution of Goa conclave has highlighted obnoxious corruption, degradation of economy and malignant assault on federal spirit of our politics as the main failures of UPA II rule. Obviously, removal of Congress rule through democratic dispensation is not only the aspiration but also the precise task before NDA. But as a responsible political party, BJP should not divert all its energy towards something like anti-Congress tirade. Its strength does not lie in doing so. At the best such an exercise is to satisfy the instinct of vengeance. The real task before BJP and NDA (if and when it forms the Government) is to lay down the roadmap for pulling the country out of present economic and political morass. Only that part of BJP’s activities will infuse voters with new hope of India reviving after the hiccups of past decade of Congress rule.
Scams and corruption have done great harm to the country and the ruling coalition. Much did the UPA II try to absolve itself of the charge of advertent or inadvertent partisanship in the scandals, the stigma ticks fast. Public opinion is unprecedented in its expression of hatred to rampant corruption in our polity. BJP shall have to deal with this major crisis in the country with deft hands. It will be unwise for the party to succumb to the temptation of making profusion of promises to the voters of doing the impossible if returned to power. That will be disastrous in present circumstances. In an era of great technological advancement, it looks rather thoughtless to dole out promises or commitments that cannot be met.
With the horn-lock in BJP camp finally resolved, the party now needs to infuse new life into its state-level branches also. In particular in states where party workers have performed poorly, the structure needs overhauling and reformation.
In final analysis, it is in the larger interests of the nation that a frontline national level political party, that has also the privilege of sitting in opposition to the UPA II Government, has overcome a tricky obstacle that had been frustrating its attempt of leadership consolidation. Respect for leadership, both old and new, as the loadstar guiding the destiny of the party and the nation, has to be the foremost principle of code of conduct for party members. That will naturally have its impact on regional chapters of the party.
The party and the people expect Narendra Modi to prove his worth as the national leader transcending all borders that divide people into compartments. India has suffered much for want of a leadership that combines vision with action. India needs leadership that will lead the nation in letter and in spirit.
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