A strong opposition with countrywide presence is essential for a good democracy in India. As on today, it is BJP that can occupy the place. And the members of the party, its MPs, and its leadership must take pride in it and workout strategy for making the kill to go to the top rather than getting bogged down because of the irritants from RSS or allies such as Sarad Yadav or the media.

A dynastic party can never remain the darling of the country for a long time and may turn complacent to the need of the people of the country. It will be a shame for a nation of a billion. How long Rahul be kept off the throne. Manmohan will make the way for Rahul. In that case, the mother and son will run the government. Will India live with this alternative or will it like to have a real democratic people’s party? Dynastic politics is anti-people. Perhaps the best example known to me is that of Meira Kumar. She might have won from Sasaram twice, but hardly remained in touch with its problems, its people or did anything for it. BJP must sell the disadvantages of dynastic politics effectively to the people.

Can BJP be a challenge to the dynastic alternative by being different?

Can BJP be run professionally? It requires making its succession policy transparent based on meritocracy and democracy so that internal feuds are minimum. It can have senior mentors in Bajpai, Advani or Murli Manohar, but the CEO must be the best that it has in its lot, be it in among the chief ministers or senior leaders. It may follow a rotational system for the position for some time to decide the best. It must even give due considerations to the popular opinions and can take help of professional consultants. Let it remember that it is to fight with Rahul, who is getting the maximum attention for his age and fresher views.

Can BJP leaders try to avoid putting their offspring in politics? Can it ensure a different situation than one seen in present ministry where even both sasur and damad are ministers? Can BJP officially get the party agree to have only one person from the family in the parliament unlike the present house when both Maneka and Varun, are in the same house? Can BJP shun the family politics as policy? The 15th Lok Sabha has seven sets of parent-child combines in the House in Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh, Ajit Singh and Jayant Choudhury, Sharad Pawar and daughter Supriya Sule, Sisir and Subhendu Adhikary, and former PM H D Devegowda and son H D Kumaraswamy.


Can NDA create a shadow cabinet of a sort to cover all the cabinet ministries and be the first opposition to do that?

Will BJP ensure that its members play the role of a constructive Opposition and try to prove they are better parliamentarians? Advani has laid down five principles: support the government when national interest demands; oppose anti-people policies; use parliamentary devices to keep the government on its toes; raise issues of people’s concerns; and focus on states that have not elected BJP members. Will the members go religiously with this spirit?

Will BJP raise the real and contemporary national issues proactively-safety of Indian students in Australia or the civilian Tamils killed in Sri Lanka operation, follows up the government promises and positively point out its failure if necessary on the sites, particularly the occasional price rises? UPA had been the master in promisology. Can UPA justify the prices of potatoes and onion in Noida market that Rs 16 and Rs14 a kilo today? How much the producing farmers get for a kilo?

Let the people appreciate and differentiate between the Congress and BJP. The CEO of Congress, be it Sonia or Rahul is bound to work harder than the CEO of BJP. CEO of Congress takes the job as one for its own private company. Motivation factors for Congress are different. Not even a very senior member has guts to say anything against the family or its views. BJP is public company with no stake of any particular family or individual. Under this disadvantage and the handicap of the minority totally united to vote against it, will BJP be able to go ahead of Congress? The answer can be ‘yes’ or ‘no’. BJP can do it with a system that can select a visionary and more so missionary leader who can bring discipline and transparency and motivate the nation in favour of the democracy, the government of the people, by the people and for the people. And the ‘people’ for BJP must be all Indians without any bias.

It must come out with a roadmap for survival as the single major opposition and for win.

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An article BJP-A national Necessity written by Mr. Indra R. Shrama is very impressive and well written. But it is very unfortunate that none of the idea will be implemented by leadership of BJP. The author has analyzed the secenerio perfectlly and given his recommendation somehow they (BJP) need to do something otherwise look for mom/son team will be there for many years, It is not good for demcracy and India.
P Sahay

sahay0001@aol.com