Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Advani and rath yatra) that was published in Newsband


Advani and rath yatraBJP is the main opposition party. L K Advani has proposed nationwide rath yatra against corruption. This has stunned even some within his own party. His behaviour indicates that he has no intentions of retreating backstage. Also he has no plans to pass on the mantle to the younger generation.
Advani's intention is not only to resurrect his party by campaigning against corruption but also to acquire for himself the top post for which he had been longing for since last many years. In the 2009 elections BJP had projected him as a prime ministerial candidate. Advani has taken this fact very seriously and he is bent on attaining the post of PM.
What he is doing now is he is trying to repeat his 1990 coup - when he travelled through the country in a chariot' triggering the highly divisive Ram temple movement' and catapulting the BJP at the centre stage of national politics.
The thing is BJP is no more a disciplined organization with squabbles and rivalries prevailing within it. But even Congress has its own woes which are not less than that of BJP and that is the reason why Advani is trying to project his party as a trustworthy modern alternative to the ruling UPA.
BJP should first try to get rid of its old-fashioned mindset and take proactive steps against corruption and transform itself into a 21st century political entity before trying to become the ruling party.
BJP is making a laughing stock of itself by raising its voice against corruption when their own party men were recently involved in big scams. Yeddyurappa was recently removed as Karnataka chief minister over corruption charges while Nishank was dislodged as Uttarakhand CM over similar reports of corruption in his regime. Ananth Kumar, an Advani confidant, was mired in controversies during his stint as Union minister like HUDCO allotment and patronage to lobbyist Niira Radia and his alleged political nexus with the Reddy brothers of Bellary. Congress is just highlighting corruption cases from the saffron stable and in the process is blunting the rival offensive.
Hence BJP and Advani should think thousand times before taking a rath yatra to oppose corruption since more they resorted to such gimmickry, the more it will stand exposed. Advani should think of other ways to convert himself from PM-in-waiting to PM.

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