Wanted Altar Boys
For the first time in the history of independent India, this general election looks more like a war, rather than a contest in statesmanship. The language is getting murkier and the attacks, no holds barred. Amidst this hostile political climate, the controversial Narendra Modi, fashions a personality cult that is not only drawing throngs to his meetings, but also casting many by the way side, including BJP’s own leaders. His election juggernaut draws an inexorable sea of saffron and flying from one relentless meeting to another sometimes across States in hours, has won him tags such as ‘rockstar and an evangelist casting a spell on a hysterical congregation.’
But clearly the attempt is to position the campaign as a Presidential one, so it is easier for Modi to name the ‘enemy’ and nail him. But in promoting the personality cult the BJP itself is eroding its joint leadership culture and big guns including the founding deity LK Advani had to bow out of the race for prime ministership, to make way for Modi, unfortunately in Goa. But the tussle for leadership has not ended there. Modi has with his trusted lieutenants such as political chief of staff Amit Shah, and war rooms in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad with IITs and IIMs alumni, scores of State generals and thousands of volunteers, launched an audacious campaign both on the ground and online, by sidelining the mainstream BJP leaders.
The personality cult is hardened by Modi’s choice of Varanasi to contest the Lok Sabha elections, by attempting to edge out Murli Manohar Joshi, a sitting MP. Though Joshi has cried “disciplined soldier” who will accept any BJP decision, the unsavoury poster war and dharnas between supporters of Joshi and Modi has amplified the threat that leaders within the BJP perceive from Modi – that of eroding their vote base, which they have clung on to for years, and which faces the peril of being washed away by the Modi Tsunami. But the fact that the projected BJP prime minister wishes to contest from a strong seat, betrays weakness, who cynics say should win from the weakest seat if he has to lead the party and the country. Modi’s positioning also poses a threat to Advani faction, such as Sushma Swaraj who has openly tweeted her dissent. Similarly, the refusal by Lucknow MP Lalji Tandon to vacate his seat for party president Rajnath Singh, is another case in point. What the party should collectively worry about is that votes for the party now mean votes for Modi, as stark irony to the BJP’s traditional mantra of collectivism.
The heat on the BJP senior leaders to play altar boys to Modi, has scared away regional leaders such as Nitish Kumar, who pride in their own self respect and voter base. Allies now see that in a one leader party, there is no room for them at the top, except to play altar boys, to spread the Modi gospel of being all things to all people. In Haryana, he evoked martyrdom under the British, in Uttar Pradesh he talked of the heroics of Rani of Jhansi, in Uttarakhand he questioned why they should serve as soldiers and not officers? He ‘awarded’ a Bharat Ratna to Gopinath Bordoloi in Assam, to Bengalis he sold ‘sonar Bangla’ (golden Bengal) and in Goa he offered special status and dual citizenship, both of which are virtual pipe dreams due to impotency of political parties. So when such strong saffron winds are blowing across the country, it is but natural for Navelim and Benaulim MLAs to put on their red and white robes and play local altar boys to Modi. Perhaps, Modi will have to pray that the teeming crowds translate into votes, to buttress his dreams of prime ministership.
