The three-day Chintan Baithak of the BJP opened here today to an explosive start, with the party putting other important issues on the backburner and turned its attention to the act of “sacrilege” committed by Jaswant Singh in praising Mohammad Ali Jinnah and blaming Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel for the Partition.
The release of the book just two days ago came in handy for the BJP, especially for L.K. Advani and his camp, to shift the focus from the need for generational change, need for L.K. Advani to retire and the incessant infighting raised by RSS chief Mohanrao Bhagwat yesterday.
There is a visible tussle evident in the BJP/RSS between Advani on the one hand and Sangh protégés like president Rajnath Singh on the other, with the Sangh trying to persuade Advani to retire and pave the way for younger leaders. However, Advani has refused to take the hint and instead is confident of completingy a five-year term as Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
Though Rajnath is considered in the rival camp, neither he nor any of his protégés objected to Advani taking a second term. Instead, it was first Jaswant, then Yashwant and, lastly, Shourie who questioned the morality of Advani resuming the LoP role and also appointing his followers as his deputies in the other posts.
When they raised the issue before and during the last national executive in Delhi on June 20 and 21, Rajnath Singh sought to defer an honest reappraisal of the reasons for BJP’s defeat to a Chintan Baithak. But when the dates and venue for this meet were being finalised Advani dismissed any necessity to “Rake up the past,”
and instead called for the need to “look at the road ahead.”
Discussion on the electoral debacle, he said, had already been done to death in the national executive.
On the last day of the Budget session of Parliament, Advani expressed confidence about continuing as LoP for next five years. Three days later, RSS chief Mohanrao Bhagwat met him and again pressed for his retirement. Advani again denied any such demand on behalf of the Sangh.
Eventually, Bhagwat was forced to make his wish public in an interview to a TV news channel. In the normal course this would have been taken with utmost seriousness by the BJP. From all appearances, Advani is likely to have his way now, having forced the lone dissenter out of this meet. Two of the three dissenters, namely Shourie and Yashwant, were not even invited for this meet. The third is out today.
The Sangh and Rajnath have also been unhappy with BJP legislative party leader Vasundhara Raje’s refusal to resign her post in Jaipur ignoring express directives by Rajnath. Yesterday, her supporters indulged in arson and violence
outside the state BJP office, sending a signal of defiance against the party high command. Insiders are of the view that action against Jaswant may strengthen Rajnath’s resolve to act similarly against Vasundhara Raje.
