ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

BJP looks up, finally

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

There is just that little extra spring in the step of Bharatiya Janata Party officials these days. After taking a battering over its government's policies, the feeling of siege has lifted, even if only marginally. One reason for this is the unequivocal statement by All India Anna DMK second-in-command V R Nedunchezhiyan on Sunday that his party was not contemplating withdrawal of support to the Vajpayee government.

But the other more weighty reason is the successful conduct of its national executive meeting in Jaipur late last week. The party feels the session has helped improve the morale of its cadre.

Officially, the party line remains that the government will last its five years and any talk of elections is futile. Yet, the Jaipur session has boosted sentiments among the leadership and cadres with the feeling that in case of a snap poll within the next few months, the BJP can hold its own. Given that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has become increasingly unwilling to negotiate anymore with the AIADMK, the possibility of an election is never too far.

"The rally at Jaipur saw one of the largest gatherings in decades," declared BJP vice-president Jana Krishnamurthy, "And it only reflected our continued popularity with the people."

"The best thing about the session was seeing Vajpayee back to his normal self," said a party official. "Vajpayee was laughing, cracking jokes, and in good spirits. After all the media talk about the prime minister's alleged ailments, and the focus on his fall during the August 15 speech, to see him so jovial was very satisfying."

The party leadership also listed the government's achievements with the message that these be disseminated among the country's public. "At the session and rally, we pointed out our two greatest successes, namely the nuclear blasts and resolving the Cauvery dispute. We told our cadres that after 1974, no government was able to carry out the bomb blasts while the Cauvery dispute had remained unresolved for over a hundred years and the Congress could do nothing. We are also close to passing the Lok Pal bill," said Ram Sinha, a BJP official.

The message to the cadres was to spread the fact that in five months, the BJP government has notched up achievements that the Congress could not in all its years in office.

Krishnamurthy dismissed any threat of Jayalalitha withdrawing support. "There is no worry about her going. Her ministers are still in the government," he said, adding, "Even if she goes, someone else will come. Our aim is to carry out the goals listed in the coalition's national agenda for governance which was decided upon by all the parties in the alliance."

The BJP vice-president stressed that the session did not discuss the AIADMK outburst, save the reference made by party president Kushabhau Thakre at the public rally.

The BJP also came down heavily on the Congress leadership and the English language media. "The English media has played up Vajpayee's ailments so much, it is as if his end were near," complained Sinha. "The English media has been against the BJP right from its Jan Sangh days, so perhaps we should expect no better. The English press has consistently written about our government's fall, yet nothing of that sort has happened."

Tell us what you think of this report