Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Modi versus Nehru-Gandhis) that was published in Newsband

Modi versus Nehru-Gandhis

It was strange that a man with such a fan following as Modi could not find universal acceptance in his own party. But now Modi has won, overriding objections from senior leaders, among them Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.

NDA partners have chosen to treat Mr. Modi’s elevation as an internal BJP matter, clarifying that they would need to be on board for deciding who will run for Prime Minister.

Modi is quite powerful with all the money - especially from NRIs. Here you have a new dictator with no lack of money and power. Money and power brings political workers who are ambitious - for they want to rise quickly taking short-cuts, just like Modi. And Modi can support them because he has money. Money also supports a publicity campaign as large-scale as Modi's. Public image can be bought. The question is whether money and power are all that is required to win the elections? The answer is ‘yes’. That’s how Nehru-Gandhis have been at the helm of Indian affairs for such a long time. At least in BJP people have the choice of sulking and hope of being a prime ministerial candidate, unlike in Congress where the birth of a person in a family decides his post in the party. Today not a single party in India is electing its leader democratically. Every party is fiefdom of a family or political dynasty. On the contrary, the elevation of Modi was more democratic than any other similar process in country. Judging that Modi’s election is not democratic is utter non sense. We have seen what truly democratic and "secular" rulers have done to our country in last eight years. We need someone who can take firm decisions. Outcome is more important than the process. If he takes hard routes to achieve something let him go ahead. He will definitely make a better PM than the mamma's boy.

Our people are strange. They don’t mind going with 100% dirty Congress but they don’t want to accept BJP till it is 100% clean. On a white paper a small spot is more visible than on a complete dirty paper.

It is left to be seen how Modi and his supporters will react if BJP's allies do not accept Modi as PM candidate. Should they choose to be autocratic then?

The BJP had shown a clarity of purpose in choosing Modi as their campaign chief. Even if this decision is largely driven by an RSS dictat, it was the most sensible thing to have happened.

As far as Advani is concerned, he was always ambitious. He is frustrated because his personal ambition to become a Prime Minister of India did not materialize. He did make a desperate attempt to lay his claim to that position for the last time. But at 85 his functioning at the highest level is suspect. The pride in being a member of Jan Sangh and BJP is not reflected in his action. The RSS soldier in him has been overcome by political ambition. He should have gracefully exited without creating a crack in the party. That would have done a world of good to BJP and Indian politics.