Post-poll Yatra

Kamal Kant Gouri

Narendra Modi, RSS pracharak turned-backward leader from Gujarat, shot into prominence when the Bharatiya Janta Party’s graph took an upward swing in the State in the late 1980s. As dyed-in-the-wool member of the Sangh parivar, Mr. Modi held the command of the party organisation in Gujarat. He received his initiation into national politics when he accompanied party president Murli Manohar Joshi on his “Kashmir Yatra”. Today, Mr. Modi holds a rather plum post at the national level, that of the general secretary in charge of the party organisation. By all indications, this spells a long and interesting political career for him. The bearded OBC leader has come a long way from his humble origins and days of struggle, and has shown commendable calibre and enterprise in defending the party during the recent Tehelka crisis; Mr. Modi was one among the young group of BJP leaders who planned and executed the party’s counter-offensive. At the moment, his hands are full once again, courtesy the drubbing the BJP and its allies received in the last round of Assembly elections. Excerpts from an interview.

Q:        How do you see the results of the recent Assembly elections impact on the BJP and its overall prospects on the national scene?

A:       We had only eight seats, which is an indicator that we had no major stakes in the states that went to polls. We were unable to in Kerala. There, the party has to now evolve new strategies to expand itself. As far as Assam and Tamil Nadu are concerned, I see these states in a different perspective. The results in Tamil Nadu have thrown up issues which concern basic values in public life. In Assam, the infiltrators have shown their power, which they have acquried through the right to vote. I believe that the results in these two states should not be seen in the context of who well as of national security.

As far as the impact of the election results on the national scene is concerned, these have come as a blessing in disguise for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It will force the NDA allies to wake up and work for strengthening themselves. Without this exercise, the NDA partners will be unable to fight their main opponent, the Congress, in their respective states. So, it is time that an effort was made by them to contain the Congress in their states.

Q:        Do you see a threat to the NDA Government in the near future?

A:       No, none at all.

Q:        But the results have been a morale booster for the Congress.

A:       I don’t see any reason for them (Congress leaders) to feel elated. They had hoped for a win in West Bengal, which they failed to achieve. Then the Congress lost the Lok Sabha seat which was held by it in the crucial State of Uttar Pradesh. It only reaped the benefit of the anti-incumbency factor in Kerala.

Q:        Going by that logic, don’t you think the same factor would work in the Congress’s favour in the Lok Sabha elections?

A:       I don’t think so. The people have shown their maturity in differentiating between Assembly elections and a general election. The neglect of development work during last 50 years has forced the people to throw out one government after another, in the hope of a better deal. The trend has been visible for the last two decades. But for the first time in 1999, the NDA was able to get over this factor and was re-elected by the people at the Centre.

Q:        Both the Prime Minister and party president Jana Krishnamurty have said that the Assembly results are a wake-up call for the NDA. Based on this assessment, how does the party/alliance plans to contain the slide?

A:       I am not aware of the context in which they have made this observation. I feel that the party needs to put in more effort to expand at the grassroots level. There is a need to establish leadership at the district and state levels.

Q:        What about the politics of alliance being pursued by the BJP? Particularly when, in some cases, this approach has proved severely detrimental to the interests of both the BJP and NDA?

A:       Alliances have not only proved politically beneficial, but these have helped in fulfilling regional aspirations and cementing social relationships, like in Punjab.

Q:        This may be partly true. But don’t you think that the “politics of alliance” would ultimately go against the BJP’s interest in expanding at the regional level? In other words, in regions the BJP can hope to expand, it is hemmed in by the “easier” option of allying with the regional force.

A:       I disagree. The election results have shown that the decision of alliance in Assam was perfectly fine. But because it was clinched at the last moment, the partners could not reap the full benefit. Had Asom Gana Parishad agreed for an alliance during the last Lok Sabha elections, it would have proved beneficial today.

Q:        Will “politics of alliance” be discussed in the office bearers’ meeting to be held in Mussoorie?

A:       Our tradition is to discuss issues openly. In the meeting, we will be discussing various aspects arising out of these results. We will discuss the fallout of the results, for instance. The meeting will also address and evolve strategies for the future. The issue of how to strengthen the party will also come up. Based on the experience of these results, the precautions that have to be observed too will be discussed.

Q:        My point is that the central leaders, may be in the larger interest of the party, have been going for these alliances even when the State units have been clearly unwilling. How do you propose to tackle this problem?

A:       Though I do not fully agree with you, the problem of timely action by the central leadership is on our mind. I would say that the agreements are not struck when the time is ripe. Had the alliance with the AGP been clinched on time with the central leadership’s intervention, things would certainly have been different. The impression that is gathering after the Assembly election results – that alliances do not necessarily work to the advantage of the BJP – could have thus been avoided. Based on the experience of Karnataka and Assam, we will try to take timely action. I hope that the central party leadership as well as the government would spare time for such exigencies.

Q:        Do you think there is a need to review the performance of Union ministers?

A:       As far as the expansion of the Union Ministry is concerned, it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister. As for a review of the performance of the ministers, there already exists a system – at the party level as well as in the PMO – that looks into it periodically. At both these levels, the purpose of any such review is better governance.