BJP's return to roots, or to RSS?

BJP's national council reflects the tightening grip of the Sangh Parivar

ajay

Ajay Singh | February 17, 2010



At Indore, the BJP's national council is displaying an unmistakable imprint of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. For a beginning, tents have been erected to house 3,000-odd delegates away from the city and its five-star luxuries. But tents are only a glimpse of the party's vision to take leaders back to the roots. The entire area has been converted into a model village where delegates are living close to nature with animals and birds. Some tribals and snake charmers have been brought from neighbouring areas to give the whole tenement a natural look. This council assumes significance in view of the fact that it is set to ratify Nitin Gadkari's election as party president. And Gadkari is more than eager to display his loyalties to the core values of the RSS which harps swadeshi and austerity in public life.

But insiders say that the whole arrangement is turning out to be quite expensive. For example, Ananth Kumar who came to oversee the arrangement chose to fly back to Bangalore on a state plane accompanied by a state minister to legitimise his journey. Similarly, the entire state machinery has been mobilised to create an ideal village which is only in the Sangh Parivar's dream. In fact, the party's Indore national council once again exposes the existential dilemma of the Sangh Parivar and the BJP. With the RSS firming up its grip over the BJP, the party's political strategy is being charted by die-hard pracharaks who are completely out of sync with ground realities. What is surprising is the silence and total capitulation of the party's new leadership to the whims and fancies of these pracharaks. 

Comments

 

Other News

Mobile coverage has expanded to include 6.22 lakh villages

Out of 6,44,131 villages in the country (as per the Registrar General of India), around 6,22,840 villages have mobile coverage and out of these, 6,14,564 villages are covered with 4G mobile connectivity as on 30.09.2024. Under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) Mis

Community-driven tourism for a sustainable India

Tourism is a vital pillar of economic growth and employment generation all across the world. It offers vast potential for sustainable livelihoods while promoting India’s rich cultural and natural heritage. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism`s contribution to India&rsq

Autumn in Delhi is a sight to behold – grey air or no grey air

Delhi: A Nature Journal By Anuradha Kumar-Jain, with Illustrations by Bahaar Meera Jain Rupa Publications, 240 pages, Rs 695

The overlooked link: climate policy and public health

Returning from a recent Renewable Energy (RE) meeting of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), UN in Germany, I was struck by the news of Delhi’s record-high AQI levels forcing partial closures across NCR. This alarming situation begs the question: Is our health sector climate-resilient enough

Exploring the treasures of India arts is a treat with this guide

The Big Book of Indian Art: An Illustrated History of Indian Art from Its Origins to the Present Day By Bina Sarkar Ellias Aleph Book Company, 815 pages, Rs 2,499

Himalayan heights potentially perfect for India`s ‘Quantum Leap’ to space: Study

In a pioneering study for the Indian subcontinent, scientists have mapped out optimal locations for beaming quantum signals into space. Satellite-based quantum communications including quantum key distribution (QKD) represent one of the most promising approaches toward global-scale quantum c

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter