FAR AND WIDE

Advani’s Place In BJP

By Eagle Eye

OF LATE, speculation as to which Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader will succeed Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the event of the latter deciding to step down has been circulating. The issue was prompted in the wake of a recent knee surgery of Vajpayee.The surgery was successfully performed, although there are also reports that the prime minister has problems in his other knee. But this all has been enough to spark off a debate on the succession issue which, however, might not be of immediate interest.

Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani’s name has figured prominently in the course of the debate. This is nothing surprising, given his background and stature both within and outside the dominant constituent of India’s ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which is composed of nearly two dozen political parties. He has different important positions in his party, including the post of president.Not being a monolithic organisation unlike quite a few other political parties, BJP holds and elects a new party chief regularly.The face at the top slot changes at regular interval, although painstaking efforts are made for reaching a consensus on who should hold the post.

Inner-Party Democracy

Inner-party democracy is extensive in BJP, which has come a long way from having but only two seats in parliament fifteen years ago. The last one and a half decades have, indeed, witnessed a progressively upward swing in its political fortunes. Likewise, the past three consecutive general electios saw the party emerge as the single-largest grouping in parliaments. Its rivals since 1992 have peristently called it a communal organisation, especially after Babri Masjid was destroyed.

Vajpayee led two governments in the recent years but they were short-lived due to lack of adequate support from other parties under circumstances created by hung parliaments.