BJP needs to correct the Basics

The debacle of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2009 general elections has been abit of surprise to many, not because it lagged behind the congress party but because the way it lagged.the difference between their seat share was expected to be around 10-15 seats as the psephologists and the pre-poll surveys had predicted. However, the results were quite in contrast to the prediction of the pundits. The difference was staggering around 40 deciding seats. The resuls proved to be nothing less than a shocker to the BJP top brass but it also was an unexpected victory for the Grand Old Party- which in this election was riding high on the youth factor with its poster boy Rahul Gandhi. Rahul with his innocent but intellectual lectures has led the Party from the front and to the core. While a Gandhi was the reason behind the revival of the party in U.P. to a record victory, after 18 years, since 1991, the other Gandhi scion is the answer to the present state of the BJP in UP and all over the country. The dilly-dallying behaviour of the party in disowning Varun Gandhi, after he allegedly spewed venom in Piliphit cost Mr. Advani his prime ministerial aspirations. Initialy, BJP supported Varun because it could not de-alienate from him on ground that the party itself may ahve master minded the incident but after facing wrath from its own members it tried to distance itself only to be sided in the end. After the UP govt. invoked the NSA upon him, BJ president visited Varun-in Custody which sent the message of the party allying with him in his testing time. Primarily the whole drama was supposed to be working completely in favour of BJP but the truth unearthed on may16, was very different. It questioned the fundamental of the party. the fundamental on which it had thrived since its inception- Hindutva. With voices getting vocal from within the party about the difference between real hindutva and the hindutva the party is propagating, BJP definitely is in a state of loosing its sheen let alone the shining. More and more leaders joining the chorus is leading to the debate, wheather it can take the risk of being percieved as a fundamentalist party or the party of a one dimensional thought. But as far as the post-poll developments are concerned, the party seems to be focussing more on silencing the voices rather than acknowledging the demands.The party needs to be revived with a novel thought and young face to uturn to the Atal age. BJP now needs some hard as well as harsh decisions. Shedding the hindutva face would be one. The hindutva BJP is talking about is alien to the hindutva the people want to acknowledge. The people's hindutva is that which deals with the whole Hindustan and not the one to appease a community and discard the other. They need a hindutva of national culture. Also, the projection of two different people at a time is leading to a confusion. The projection of party chief Rajnath Singh and PM-in waiting Lal Krishna Advani as the power centres is confusing. Also, the intervention of the VHP and RSS at different occasion in the internal matter of the party from a public stage is a non co-operative attitude of the sangh parivar. This is all what it needs to take care and understand to avoid any clash of interest within or outside the party and let the party blossom once again with a national culture. Afterall, a democracy is meaningless in the absence of rival parties of the same strength.