The ‘Gujarat Model’ and the undeniable electoral success of its chief architects — Narendra Modi and Amit Shah — has pushed the BJP into replicating it at a national scale. And even before its efficacy has been proved in the ongoing election, the architects have started subjecting national leaders to the same ruthless treatment that was so far reserved for leaders of any significance in Gujarat.
One by one, the BJP’s national leadership is being subjected to the same treatment that was meted out over the past decade to every significant political player in Gujarat BJP — former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, Suresh Mehta, Harin Pathak, the late Kasnhi Ram Rana, Sanjay Joshi, Govardhan Zadaphia and Kanubhai Kalsaria.
In the past week alone, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Murli Manohar Joshi and Jaswant Singh have been publicly snubbed. In this endeavour, party president Rajnath Singh has aligned with senior leader Arun Jaitley.
Jaitley on Sunday delivered a terse message to former Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, who was in tears after being denied ticket from his home constituency of Barmer (Rajasthan).
“In the election season, many political persons desirous of being candidates succeed in getting a party nomination. Many more got left out. A political party is built upon the support of millions of political workers who have sacrificed their time and energy without ever aspiring to hold elected office.
“What does a politician do when after a successful political career the party is unable to accommodate him once? That is when his discipline and political loyalty are to be tested,” said Jaitley in his blog.
Telling Jaswant to accept “no” for an answer, Jaitley remarked: “Membership of political party is a privilege. It is also an act of self oppression where personal views and ambitions are subjected to the collective wisdom of the party. At times, the party may flood leaders with privileges and positions. On other occasions, the leader may have to take “no” as an answer to his desires. How does a politician or a leader react to such “no”? He must accept the decision with a smile.
“This becomes a test of his loyalty and discipline. Restraint and silence are always a preferred option. Over-reaction may prove be a transient storm in a tea cup. Silence is always dignified and more gracious.”
This is as clear an indication as any that Jaswant’s threat to contest as an independent from Barmer has fallen on deaf ears. He still seemed to be hoping for a breakthrough when he said: “Yes, I am filing my nomination papers from Barmer. As an Independent or not will depend on the BJP’s attitude.”
Others understand and share Jaswan’t plight. Swaraj went public with her support to him and, significantly, asserted that the decision to deny ticket to the veteran leader is not collective. Distancing herself from this decision, she said: “This is a ticket that was not discussed in the Central Election Committee. Kucchh kaaran rahe honge. Lekin mujhe personally bahut bura laga (I am sure there were reasons for this decision. I am personally very saddened by this decision.)”
Iron handSwaraj clearly understands that an iron hand has come to rule Delhi. Her views are being ignored in the same implacable manner. She had voiced her objections to the re-entry of controversial leader B Sriramulu into the party. But the BJP went ahead and gave him the Bellary ticket.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that B Sriramulu has been admitted in the party despite my stiff objections,” she tweeted.
This was a week during which the tallest leader of the party, Advani, was not allowed his seat of choice — Bhopal. Subsequently, the BJP added insult to injury by denying ticket to Advani’s loyalist Harin Pathak, a seven-time MP from Ahmedabad.
Although Advani is still important enough for the BJP President to at least put up a show of placating, senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi got none of this courtesy.
Joshi was unceremoniously shunted out of Varanasi, where he is the sitting MP, to contest from Kanpur.
Similarly, party leader Uma Bharati is believed to be unhappy over her candidature from Jhansi. She had been aiming to contest from Bhopal.
The writing on the wall is clear in the BJP. Either the leaders fall in line or they will be ignored.