BJP: An opposition in absence

I don’t know how to start or end this blog, primarily I wonder if this should have a cynical overtone or one of hope. Its is very difficult when dealing with this subject solely because the monumental scale of political missteps by the BJP have lead even very favourable commentators like me wonder if its merely incompetence or is there something more sinister behind it. I have been a long time fan of the party…a voter as well, but I feel extremely betrayed with how the party has changed for the worse over the last 10-12 years. I will rant…and I rant for my sanity as much as for the good of the party and hence the country. I see a whole bunch of BJP voters on social media who censure anyone who criticise the BJP…these lot are your biggest enemies. They want to convert BJP into another Congress where something’s are above reproach. But you see the ruling family elite getting disappointed in elections despite no bad thing being allowed to be said about them. The other logic of these well-meaning fools is that BJP is better than the Congress so lets have them. I agree, but only partly. The way it is today, the BJP in my perception is EXACTLY like the Congress and while clearly less corrupt I am not confident that it will do the things that made BJP…’BJP’. So its possible I have been harsh, or maybe got some of my facts/ opinions wrong (though I don’t think so), but I hope the party and all its supporters understand the essence of this blaog/ rant and hope some good comes out of it.

On April 6, 2012, the BJP completed 32 years of existence (almost as old as me). It began its journey as a party with a difference, a true democratic and meritocratic setup in an era when Congress sycophancy was at its zenith. It had a strong ideological backbone with its cadre picked from the RSS, an organisation that is unparalleled in the world for its selfless service. It gave voice to the law abiding middle class hindu who had so far been (and arguably still remain) a milking cow for the government and nothing more. It was based on the need to create a true social renaissance based on equality rather than narrow parochial interests. The relatively austere lives of its leaders and its well educated cadre was a key positive going for the party. The party’s upswing came when it supported the Ram Janmabhoomi struggle and it was placed into powers moving from a mere 2 seats in the Lok Sabha to heading a ruling coalition for 5-6 years which saw a golden period in India’s economy and social outlook.

However, all this is now is as relevant as Gandhi and Patel are relevant to today’s Congress. The BJP today is no longer the same BJP we came to know, respect and support. Its is a deeply decaying institution run by leaders who seem, at best, unable to manage it. What remained BJP’s once almost refreshing politics-lite, ‘non-chaalu’ perception has now been stretched to point were people wonder, is it just that, or incompetence of something else?

Several questionable things have happened in the recent (and distant) past:

Subramanian Swamy’s allegation that the scion of India’s self appointed ‘first family’ was arrested at an American airport (Boston) for carrying US$160K in cash the origins of which he was not able to explain. While this was an ace chance for the BJP to finish of its main opposition, apparently its Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee (ABV) deputed his senior most officials (was it Brajesh Mishra?) to ensure the young man was let off and that the news was not reported by the media. If true, this is a serious charge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMQ6ba8TXH8&feature=relmfu

While the ABV government was unquestionably the least corrupt and the most successful government in Indian history, the fact is that BJP did not pursue the Bofors case (again where the role of the ‘first family’ was suspect) for inexplicable reasons. ABV is currently incapacitated and the onus of defending this action (or lack of it) has fallen on its current leadership who is badly floundering at it. Anyone can watch Arun Jaitley’s recent interview with Karan Thapar and form their own judgement but it is indeed hard to believe that a government was unable to get to the bottom of a well investigated defence scam in over five years! Arun Jaitley tries to get away implying IMHO that CBI is an independent agency…but isn’t he accusing CBI of being exactly the opposite today? So was either incompetence or collusion or was an independent CBI dragging its feet and your government was unable or unwilling to get a move on? However, Arun Jaitley, articulate as he is, cant wish away reports that George Fernandes was ordered by ABV to not investigate the Gandhi family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhCz0DL9e1Q

I only mention issues such as Uniform Civil Code, Ram Janmabhoomi movement and Article 370, all of which BJP claimed to be very close to their heart, that BJP made no move on during its rule in India. They claim that it was ideological differences with its coalition partners that prevented them from doing so. For now I give them the benefit of doubt though questions arise on what is the point of being in power if the very issues that put you in power are going to be thrown away for the sake of power?! How do you remain a party with a difference then? But let us leave that for now.

Each one of these instances cost us, and cost us dearly (in fact on a back of envelope gold parity calculation suggests that in current value the Rs64 crore Bofors scam is actually worth over Rs1,311 crore), there can be no two ways about that. Why ABV favoured the first family, if he did, was it out of goodness of his heart  or was there some quid pro quo, was there a secret arrangement between BJP and Congress (as Karan Thapar suggests in the interview), and what was the reason for the genesis of such an agreement. BJP cannot excuse these questions…these are not questions of legal wrangling or spin, these raise serious issue on the ‘character’ of some leaders. But BJP will perhaps want to say this is history…forget it…move on…fine…lets come closer in time then.

In early 2011, the BJP commissioned a task force comprised of the who’s who of the financial and intellectual elite of Indian nationalists. This group released a report 'Indian Black Money Abroad in Secret Banks and Tax Havens' which reportedly made certain suggestions about the Gandhi family’s wealth being parked abroad in an illegal manner. No doubt these reports distressed Soniaji and she complained to LK Advani to which Advani promptly apologised to her. http://www.rediff.com/news/report/text-of-advanis-regret-letter-to-sonia-gandhi/20110218.htm

Why did such a senior leader feel the need to apologise on this issue? If the report was malicious, the Congress had a horde of very senior lawyers who could have proven it false in a court of law, why did LKA feel the need to sap the morale of his own team that had no doubt worked hard on putting names to numbers and dislayed admirable courage in coming up with this publication? You opened yourself up for jibes from your own younger colleagues in BJP and even from people like Ambika Soni who are no where close to you in political stature. This act indeed rings alarm bells for ordinary citizens, doesn’t it?

While Narendra Modi is clearly the tallest leader in your party today, with a proven clean image and a vote winner, why has the BJP refused to let him campaign in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh? Clearly the lame reasons given like Modiji being busy are obviously false, or has BJP failed to manage people’s perceptions again? Why cant BJP see the obvious gameplan of its ‘friends’ like SAD and JD(U) who want to increase their own vote base in their home states at the cost of national parties like yourself. While Rahul Gandhi clearly went wrong in the specifics, his larger plan of not depending on any regional satrap in winning elections makes a lot of sense. Instead of getting your vote winners to campaign why is BJP pandering to parochial interests? Why is there so much internal egos and jealousy that is sidelining the only true Prime Ministerial candidate that BJP has! Does Nitin Gadkari or LKA genuinely believe they can be serious contenders for the PM post? That is a joke. If the BJP has any political sense it will immediately anoint Modiji as its PM candidate and  work towards establishing him as a national figure.

The last 3 years has been a gold mine in terms of scams that any ‘true’ opposition party would simply relish, but which of these scams below, has the BJP been instrumental in bringing to light. When I ask ‘bringing to light’ I do not expect a reply like “if you see my supplementary to the concerned minister on the xyz date…” I mean a proper bringing to light, ie filing cases, making speeches to educate people, talking to journos, going on an all out offensive without fear:

The ineligibility of Sonia Gandhi to become PM - single handed Herculean effort by Dr. Subramanian Swamy

The CWG scam – brought out by Times Now and a couple other news channels/ CAG

The 2G scam – single handed Herculean effort by Dr. Subramanian Swamy corroborated by CAG

EVM scam (may have cost BJP’s re-election) – Dr. Subramanian Swamy

Assorted (yet serious) allegations against the Gandhi family and Chidambaram – Dr. Subramanian Swamy

The coal scam (USD400bn) – Chauthi Duniya and CAG

Pratibha Patil’s house – Social media followed by mainsteam media (MSM)

Abhishek Singhvi Sex Scandal – an anonymous internet user while you remained like MSM completely mum

Defence deal scandals – General VK Singh and social media/ MSM

Assorted temple land/ other land misappropriations and scams – MSM (if that)

The entire black money/ corruption/ Lokpal debate is headed by the Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh of Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and Dr. Swamy. Where is BJP?

What is most shocking is that BJP is actually collaborating with the Congress on gagging social media. This raises an eyebrow to say the least on Nitin Gadkari’s intentions, afterall is the BJP in favour of gagging the very social media that has arguably benefited it the most?!

I am probably missing a few dozen more scandals here, but you get the gist. Can you tell your voters which one of these scandals was unearthed by BJP or which is the one cause where your president Nitin Gadkari can say, “yes this is our baby, we unearthed it or we are putting the government on the backfoot on this or we can be identified as the primary opposition in this scam”. You BJP are nowhere. You are either unwilling to unable to take on the Congress or you are unwilling or unable to manage peoples perceptions. Both cases are unforgivable in public life. Your biggest issue is the last gaffe on the selection of the next President of India…Congress did not have enough seats, but BJP could still not gather enough to put them on the backfoot. Your explanation cannot be that Congress bribed everyone, for if everyone is bikau then there is not need for a parliament at all. Why could you not convince other parties to vote for an eminently suitable candidate like Dr. Abdul Kalam? Did you not try, or did you try but your absolutely best efforts are not enough? I don’t know which scenario is scarier! I can go on and on listing BJP’s political mis-steps. It has gotten to the point where people on social media do not even consider you an opposition any more…worse they consider you to be in cahoots with the Congress, a some sort of a B-Team.

In every crisis (and BJP is in crisis) there is an opportunity. Clearly Nitin Gadkari, while may be a great person individually, is not inspiring leadership. It is the public’s perception that he has for his own narrow interests tried to side-line your most respected, effective and popular leader – Narendra Modi. If he claims the victory in recent state elections as his own then he is clearly confusing luck for talent. BJP has managed to win the non-Congress vote and has not managed to create a pro-BJP vote. This explains the party’s loss in Uttar Pradesh (once your bastion) where in your own estimation you lost because you could not prove yourself to be viable alternative to the BSP, in other words people didn’t think you could win, in more other words, people think you have miserably failed in creating your own constituency…you have not created a pro-BJP vote bank. BJP still has a great support base (myself included), it will vote for you but its not enough, you need to add numbers. BJP has great leaders at the state level, Narendra Modi, Raman Singh, Parrikar are some that come to mind. What BJP needs is a breath of fresh air at the top, perhaps 4-5 leaders at the top can move into advisory roles. Perhaps its also time to change Nitin Gadkari. When I watch TV debates with your leaders (you know which ones), they seem very satisfied with life…I miss the fire that I once saw with LKA and with Pramod Mahajan. It almost feels like the current lot is so scared of losing its chief opposition status that it lacks to guts to go for the jugular. If you are afraid of losing you will never win.

Why cant BJP invite leaders like Govindacharya back into its fold…he doesn’t seem to have any political ambitions but will provide the strong ideological backbone that BJP has lost. The party needs to go back to basics, go back to Hindutva, not necessarily hardline but atleast slightly right of centre. There is a huge bunch of people who don’t like the CONgress brand of politics, but are so disappointed in what BJP has become that they don’t vote. Go back to being the RSS-fuelled BJP and these people, people like me will vote you. Right now you are nothing but Congress-lite and if you continue to be run they way you are, you may not even win 50 seats on your own in Lok Sabha. Look at RJD…when parties lose their identity…they become non entities. If Nitin, LKA, Arun, Sushma, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rudy and gang truly care for the BJP, they will know when to step out of the way and let true talent move up.