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Having mastered the art of survival, BJP looks forward to consolidation

George Iype in New Delhi

As the Bharatiya Janata Party celebrated the first anniversary of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government on Friday, party and government managers were elated that the collapse of the coalition is not round the corner.

Thus, when senior BJP leaders and members of Parliament assembled at 11, Ashoka Road to greet each other on the government's first birthday, many boasted that politics is the art of survival and the BJP leadership has deftly mastered this fine art.

"Ever since we came to power, the Opposition parties were raising questions about our government's survival. But we have not only survived but also performed well in the past 12 months," BJP president Shashikant 'Kushabhau' Thakre said.

According to Thakre, the nuclear blasts and Vajpayee's bus diplomacy to Pakistan were the two high points among the BJP coalition's many achievements.

"When we conducted the nuclear tests, the world said we are war-mongers. But we have extended a hand of friendship and peace with our neighbours and also initiated a process of bilateral negotiations with Pakistan," the BJP president added.

BJP leaders feel they have every reason to be happy. Once belligerent partners like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary J Jayalalitha and Trinamul Congress president Mamata Banerjee have mellowed, while other allies like the Akali Dal, the Biju Janata Dal and the Samata Party confront internal problems.

According to a BJP strategist, the Vajpayee government will continue in office for two reasons. First, none of its allies is in a mood to desert it for fear of a mid-term poll. Second, the Congress is yet to make a serious bid to capture power at the Centre.

"We do not claim that the Vajpayee government has been 100 per cent successful. But our ambitious Opposition parties, led by the Congress, are yet to find any effective alternative to replace the BJP coalition," a BJP insider stated.

Thus, he said, "What Vajpayee will and must do in the coming year is to consolidate on the positive aspects of his government and make it a truly successful coalition at the Centre."

While the BJP leaders, including the prime minister, think there is no danger for the government at this juncture, what could upset Vajpayee's applecart is the dissent from within the Sangh Parivar.

Many BJP leaders, and most coalition partners, are glad that Vajpayee has reined in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and other pro-Hindu organisations from interfering with the running of the government.

Raging differences on a host of issues broke out between the Sangh and the government on one hand, and between the hardliners and moderates within the BJP on the other, during the past year.

Many believe that though hawks in the RSS family appear reconciled to Vajpayee's continuation in office, they could rally against him any time.

"The RSS leadership is of the opinion that the BJP should never move away from the ideological fraternity despite the political compulsions of running a coalition government," a senior RSS official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Rediff On The NeT.

He said the BJP and RSS leadership are now engaged in "a debate to find whether the problems of coalition politics will ruin the party's political standing in the country."

"Serious problems for the BJP will crop up if a general election is held because the party is neither here nor there," the RSS leader added.

BJP leaders admit that the government's performance on the law and order front has not been all that good in the past year.

Home Minister L K Advani's proactive policy on Kashmir is said to have had little results. Added to this are the anti-Christian attacks that have caused a new divide between the tribals in states like Gujarat and Orissa.

According to BJP vice-president Jana Krishnamoorthy, "The so-called attacks against minorities are pre-planned to tarnish the BJP government."

"We do not think sporadic attacks against Christians are any cause for national concern. They are being dealt with seriously. The tragedy is that the Opposition parties want to portray the BJP in an anti-minority mould," he told Rediff On The NeT.

"When we formed the government last year, the Congress ridiculed that we would not survive for one year. But we have survived, and will continue for the next four years," Krishnamoorthy added.

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