The much-awaited reconstitution of the BJP's national executive and team of office bearers reflects the party's drift rather than a coherent political strategy. The appointment of nearly a dozen vice-presidents and an equal number of general secretaries is a testimony to craving for power and pelf among top leaders who successfully coerced Nitin Gadkari to appoint their minions.

If Gadkari appointed Vijay Goel as general secretary to keep the Rajnath Singh faction in good humour, he took extra care to appoint Ananth Kumar not only as the senior-most general secretary but also as secretary of the Parliamentary board to placate the troika of Arun Jaitley-Venkaiah Naidu-Sushma Swaraj. Ananth Kumar's proximity to LK Advani clearly helped.

That Gadkari has been bending over backwards to be on the right side of the RSS is evident by the fact that he has given greater representation to the RSS volunteers in his team and also appointed two assistants to the RSS-loaned pracharak and general secretary Ram Lal. Similarly, the controversial Saudan Singh from Madhya Pradesh has been brought in despite his controversial conduct in the past. The induction of Hema Malini, Kirron Kher, Smriti Irani will only add a touch of glamour without substance.

A close look at Gadkari's decision only reveals that the BJP president has been doing a fine balancing act in every decision he has taken. Since he is a RSS nominee, he cannot afford to do anything that does not please his bosses in Nagpur. Given his inexperience in national politics, he has been seeking support of faction-ridden party leaders who are often working at cross-purposes. Like his predecessor Rajnath Singh, Gadkari is falling into the same trap of second-guessing his mentors in the RSS and keeping his senior colleagues happy. Gadkari's new team only suggests that the party's drift into wilderness is unlikely to be reversed.