To polarise is the goal

BJP president Rajnath Singh, who has returned to head the party after a not very ceremonious exit the last time around, seems to have new support and hence clout within the party. His first major reshuffle of the party organisation ensconces him firmly in the saddle, even as the complexion and flavour of the new team carries more than one message for those watching the developments within and outside the party.

One, the BJP is now in election mode with the 76 member team clearly including those that the party president is comfortable with.

Two, the BJP is one with the RSS now in moving towards an all out Hindutva campaign for the general elections. The inclusion of the aggressively communal campaigners like Varun Gandhi, Uma Bharti, Ananth Kumar, Amit Shah in senior positions within the party is a clear indication of which way the BJP wind is going to blow.

This teamed with the exclusion of the relatively moderate Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha who is not from a RSS background, further endorses the decision of the party top brass to be brazen, and not shy, about its ideology in the belief that polarisation will work to its advantage in the polls.

Three, in case there were still some doubters the BJP chief has again made it more than apparent that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi will be the party’s candidate for prime minister in the 2014 polls.

By bringing in Narendra Modi as the sole chief minister in the parliamentary board, Singh has made it very clear that this particular state leader outshines all others insofar as he and the RSS are concerned. Mutterings in the party in support of Chhatisgarh chief minister Raman Singh have thus been eclipsed by this one inclusion, with Modi towering above all other ‘competition’ within the BJP.

Short of an official announcement, this inclusion is a declaration that Modi is very much part and parcel of the run up to the general elections, being the star candidate, the only state leader to be so projected, and a person who will have a major say in the overall election strategy.

The BJP will be working to create wave like conditions in favour of Modi. The new general secretaries will be part of the crucial team to work towards projecting Modi, and ensuring a blitz that the BJP hopes will eat into voters reservations about the party, and encourage them to vote for the individual.

Modi himself has been calibrating his rise to power, tackling the international constituency even as he moves out of Gujarat to convince people in other states that he is a good and sound administrator, a disciplinarian, and a leader who can be relied on to take India forward. The calculated propaganda keeps away from controversial issues, with Modi already managing to stand several inches above the chaos that the BJP is currently associated with.

Rajnath Singh and the RSS have selected the new team with care, to ensure that top positions are given to those who will not hesitate to support Modi, and build a strong campaign to ensure his acceptability across the country.

The campaign will clearly have a strong anti-minority core to it, judging from the inclusion of several leaders who have become notoriously well known simply because of the tone and tenor of their speeches targeting the minorities of India. This can be taken as a given as the Varun Gandhis and Uma Bhartis are capable of little else, and are certainly not in the party for possible cerebral contributions.

Four, veterans like LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj will find themselves isolated in the party if they oppose the emerging consensus to launch Modi as the prime ministerial candidate. Most of those in position now are supportive of the Gujarat chief minister, and reckless enough to openly counter any dissent within.

Five, the BJP and the RSS in a new assessment of the ground situation have decided not to worry about alliances and coalition governments at this stage and go instead with the party’s own agenda and ideology in the hope that this will strengthen and add to the support base for Narendra Modi.

The BJP knows that Modi can become the Prime Minister only if the party gets at least 180 to 200 seats on its own. Numbers below this will place the BJP at the mercy of regional allies, some of whom like the Janata Dal(U) would then insist on a coalition without Modi in the forefront.

The BJP has clearly decided to pursue the go it alone path, at least before and during the elections, pinning all hopes on a wave for and around Modi. In case the Modi, card fails to improve the BJP’s fortunes, it can go back to seeking alliances from even squeamish parties like the Janata Dal(U) that could be persuaded to join yet another NDA alliance without Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister. With 200 seats in the Lok Sabha, the BJP is very optimistic about making up the remaining numbers with support from parties like the AIADMK and the Akali Dal that have been supporting Modi for the top job all along.

The reshuffle thus is an important milestone in the run up to the general elections. And the BJP with of course guidance and direction from the RSS, has taken effective steps to clear the confusion and to some extent the factionalism, by sending out concrete signals to the rank and file and ensuring that the team so carefully put together is able to move unitedly and cohesively into the elections. Dissenting voices have been either moved out, or neutralized within the party organisation with the red carpet now laid out by the BJP for Narendra Modi’s ascent to power on the plank of Hindutva, development and so called national security.