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BJP caught in the horns of dilemma

Sheela Bhatt and Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panjim

The Bharatiya Janata Party's dilemma -- whether to worry about Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's anguish and concern for India's image or press on with the search for an emotional issue to re-energise its cadres -- came to the fore on Thursday as party president K Jana Krishnamurthi, Union Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana, spokespersons Sunil Shastri and Maya Singh, and several other politicians started checking in at the Marriott in Goa.

"Kashmakash to hai (yes, we are in a dilemma)," admitted a member of the anti-Narendra Modi lobby from Delhi. "The party's image has been tarnished by the killings in Gujarat. But we will have to decide whether Modi's exit will really help. Can we afford to dilute the Hindutva issue? The party is divided. Modi issue ke dono taraf baaten chal rahin hai [both sides of the Modi issue are being debated]."

But as soon as he arrived at Dabolim airport Krishnamurthi ruled out the removal of the Gujarat chief minister. "He is our party's pin-up boy," a politician from Maharashtra said.

"Of course we are extremely disturbed by the violence," Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, "but if Modi stands today from any constituency in India, Hindus will vote for him."

This is the third national executive meeting of the BJP in Goa, the only state where a common civil code applies.

At this latest meeting, the BJP has many issues beyond Modi and the Gujarat carnage to consider. The rout in the recent assembly elections, the impact of the liberalisation policy of the National Democratic Alliance government and the issue of a change in the party's leadership will also be discussed.

As one politician told rediff.com on his arrival, "Why is the middle class not voting for us? What's wrong with our economy? This is the big issue."

HRD Minister Joshi said, "We will discuss the general political climate of the country and our electoral failures." Asked about Modi, he said, "Wait and watch. We haven't taken any decisions. Let us debate."

Union Textiles Minister Kashiram Rana, who is seen as a possible replacement for Modi, also denied a change of guard in Gujarat. "This is not true," he said of reports that he would be the next chief minister in Gandhinagar.

According to sources in the party, Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Shanta Kumar's outburst against Modi was also motivated by a personal grudge. When Modi was the party general secretary in charge of Himachal Pradesh, he was not exactly on good terms with Shanta Kumar, then chief minister of the state.

According to the sources, the issue underlying all these other issues is whether to concentrate on strengthening the NDA government or the party. "Prime Minster A B Vajpayee's concern is the image of his government, but the BJP needs a strategy to survive beyond the NDA government," remarked a young BJP politician. "Party leaders who are hardliners are agitated because they think that to survive in power the party has made too many compromises and that's the prime reason for its rout in the recent elections, particularly in Uttar Pradesh."

But another senior politician, a member of the executive committee, said, "Modi has spoiled the image of the NDA government and the leadership of the PM has been tarnished. He should not have shown such laxity in handling law and order. It's true that the BJP was shaken by the carnage. But Modi has not adversely affected the party's electoral prospects, and that's equally true. Vajpayee will try to debate the party's positions within the fold of the NDA agenda; the Advani faction will talk about the party's priorities. The UP, Manipur and Delhi electoral routs are bigger problems than Modi's resignation."

Laximikant Parsekar, Goa's BJP chief and a member of the party executive, put it bluntly: "The BJP's executive committee never decides on such issues like Modi's resignation. That's decided in Delhi."

"With Mayawati and Jayalalithaa at the door," said another source, "the NDA is stronger than before. It's time to think about the party's interests and the clash of interests in the states with the NDA allies."

"Without an emotional issue like Hindutva," the source argued, "the party is losing state after state. It's time to take notice of the side effects of liberalisation on BJP voters. We urgently need to distance the party from the restrictions put up by the NDA agenda. We need freedom of expression within the NDA fold. If all these require a change in the party leadership, we will even debate that."

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