Nitin Gadkari-Gopinath Munde conflict: BJP stuck

After the untimely demise of Pramod Mahajan in 2006, half a dozen BJP leaders in the state had vowed to demolish the leadership of mass leader Gopinath Munde. Some saw it as an opportunity to avenge the Mahajan-Munde regime, which nobody had dared to challenge for 20 years as it had the blessings of both Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.

Mahajan’s autocratic style of functioning was adequately backed by his knowledge of ground realities when it came to taking decisions within the state unit. Not surprisingly, he gave his consent to the crowning of Nitin Gadkari as the state BJP president despite knowing it would lead to a conflict with Munde, his brother-in-law. Even today, the RSS may have installed Gadkari as the national president of the BJP, but Munde’s image as the real mass leader cannot be wiped off the public mind.

Over the years, as the BJP has struggled to steady its ship, young ambitious leaders have time and again sought to exploit the Gadkari-Munde war. Gadkari’s over-dependence on the anti-Munde brigade is an open secret. What makes him vulnerable is his inability to inspire the confidence of the party’s central leadership. The BJP is a cadre-based party and so its next generation may have had to resign itself to his appointment as the party chief. But that has not stopped the younger leaders from making their displeasure evident. Whether it is Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Narendra Modi or Rajnath Singh — they all take recourse in Advani when driven to the walls.

Gadkari, too, has failed on some fronts. His failure to restore cordial relations with Munde has also been a tactical blunder. By taking an extreme dislike to Munde, who is also vying for an absolute say in state matters, Gadkari has lost his hold on the home turf.

An MLA close to Munde said: “For the past 35 years, Munde has played a significant role in building the BJP. And suddenly he realises that all decisions in his home state are being taken without consulting him.” Those in the Gadkari camp say, “Munde should be prepared for the generational change in the party. When he was made the Maharashtra BJP president at the age of 34, senior leaders had taken a backseat.”

However, the big question that remains unanswered is whether the BJP has a suitable mass leader who can match Munde’s calibre? Leader of the opposition Eknath Khadse may have exposed scams involving the government but has failed to earn the tag of a street fighter. Similarly, Vinod Tawde, who has been groomed by Mahajan, is shrewd but lacks mass appeal. The intelligent Devendra Phadnavis may give the Congress and the NCP nightmares through his debates but is limited in terms of popular appeal.

The party needs to set aside personality issues and make individuals work towards a common goal. Irrespective of which camp emerges as the winner, the developments do not auger well for the organisation which boasts of being a party with a difference and not differences.