QUICK TAKES

Congress is trapped in dynastic politics: Advani

L.K. Advani was at his statesman-like best at the India Today Conclave 2008. The topic was "How Does BJP's Leadership Differ from Congress?" But in outlining the differences between the two parties, the NDA's candidate for prime minister also unveiled the roadmap for his leadership.
 
Despite India Today Group Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla's comment that the BJP too followed the dynasty of double A (Atal and Advani), he stuck to the Congress dynasty versus BJP democracy argument. This apart, Advani emphasised on the importance of coalition politics by pointing out that it was the BJP, under A.B. Vajpayee's leadership, that ran a successful and stable coalition – at one point comprising over two dozen parties – for six years. 
 
"Indeed the very words 'coalition dharma' are a contribution of the BJP to the lexicon of Indian democracy," Advani said. And added, "Contrast this with the way the Congress party has been handling the UPA and its relations with the Left front parties that provide critical support."  
 

L.K. Advani, Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha
L.K. Advani weighs up leadership models of the BJP and Congress
As with Advani, there is always an anecdote at hand as he recalled that in 1998 when Vajpayee had barely taken office as PM and appointed Advani as the home minister, they got the news that Comrade E.M.S. Nambroodripad had passed away. Vajpayee wondered if someone should be sent to attend the funeral. Advani recalled that despite Namboodripad being a Communist and a vehement critic of the Jan Sangh and the BJP, he was also an `outstanding leader'. So Advani immediately offered to represent the BJP government. That incidentally was also his first duty as home minister.
 
The 50-minute speech highlighted what Chawla referred to as `the idea of Advani'. In what could be seen as Advani's personal commitment to the coalition dharma – after all he is now not just the leader of the BJP but also the NDA – he recalled that in the pre-1947 days, at a time when Namboodribad was the general secretary of the Malabar Congress, RSS stalwart Hedgewar was the general secretary of the Vidharbha Congress. Though both were of different ideologies and anti-Congress, it was an idealism (of an independent India) that brought them both together.
 
"I have no difficulty with that," said Advani. In other words, a Common Minimum Programme can always be worked out to bring together parties of different ideologies. This was clearly Advani, wearing his leader-of-the-NDA hat.
 
Mocking the Congress for not looking beyond the dynasty, he read out a laundry list of schemes that have been named after the dynasty, such as the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University or the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, and wandered that even in the matter of nomenclatures the Congress cannot think of any other leader despite 60 years of independence. In a lighter tone, he recalled he had once asked the PM this and told him, "At least you could have thought of Narasimha Rao!" (Manmohan Singh made his debut on the political stage as Rao's finance minister.) 
 
Reverting to an old theme, he criticised Manmohan Singh for allowing 10 Janpath to become more important than 7 Race Course Road, and recalled that when he was made leader of the Opposition for the first time during Chandreshekhar's government, Rajiv Gandhi called him and asked if he would like to shift out of his residence at Pandara Road to 10 Janpath.  If so, then 10 Janpath could permanently become the residence of the LoP while 7 Race Course Road remained the PM's residence. Advani however declined. 

About the nuclear deal, he said that before coming to the Conclave, a party colleague had told him that a very senior leader from the Left had said that the Congress had indicated that it was not interested in going ahead with the deal at the cost of the government.
 
During the question answer session, former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah asked Advani, "You say you want to fight the militants. Can you tell me sir, when the three terrorists were released, I was going to leave the government. We could have easily sacrificed the 89 (passengers of IC-814) and told the rest of the world that we are tough on terrorism. You are seen as the hard face of the BJP. How did you agree? And now you talk of being tough on terrorism – do you really mean it or is it a short term ploy to win votes?" 

The former home minister replied, "If we had no intention of fighting terrorism, there was no reason for Agra to fail. So far as the hijack episode is concerned, my views and what was felt at that time are known broadly. It in no way takes away from our commitment to fight terror."
 
Can Advani do a repeat of the magic that the BJP's seats increase from 2 to 89 and bring both himself and his party in power again? Judging by the confidence with which he addressed the leadership issues and emphaised on the art of coalition management, he certainly seems to think so.

Current Rating   |   Bad

(Click star to rate article )
Good
(62 votes)
COMMENT
Name :
E-mail :
 
 
 

from the chairman

What India needs is political vision and a leadership that has nothing at stake except India.
Aroon Purie
Chairman & Editor-in-Chief
India Today Group

Interviews

I am what I am through my failures: Aamir

His contemporaries may be dancing at weddings and signing endorsement deals for big money, but Aamir Khan says he is content doing one film a year. Sidhi Chadha spoke to the actor-director about commercial and art cinema, his experiences and apparent aloofness.
More

She said, He said

"If we segregate religion from politics, it will serve the country a great deal. Religion is personal and something that should be confined to the home and the heart and not politicised."
(Conclave 2008)
Sachin Pilot
Member of Parliament
Copyright © 2009 India Today Group. All Rights Reserved. India Today Group Online is a Registered trademark of the India Today Group. For reprint rights: Syndications Today.