It is important to note that Modi, Shah and Nadda — the three main forces of the present BJP — have not been touched, making it clear that the power to make things move will remain in the hands of the trio.
New Delhi: The clamour and “shock” over the decision to make major changes in BJP’s parliamentary board, without touching Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and J P Nadda and by dropping Nitin Gadkari, Yogi Adityanath and Shivraj Singh Chouhan is unplaced. More so, because a closer look at the new names makes BJP’s aims clear — the upcoming votes, rewards to big and disgruntled leaders and garnering votes from the backward classes.
It is important to note that Modi, Shah and Nadda — the three main forces of the present BJP — have not been touched, making it clear that the power to make things move will remain in the hands of the trio. Thus, the inclusion of the rest of the leaders into the panel, which decides on Chief Ministers, state presidents and others important positions, is not to make organisational changes or to expect major inputs from them. It is also important to understand that in a panel, which has the country’s Prime Minister, Home Minister and the national president of a party, the others may find it difficult or may even feel out of place to make suggestions.
Also Read: Fadnavis, Yediyurappa find place in top BJP panel; Nitin Gadkari, Yogi Adityanath dropped
The inclusion of both B S Yediyurappa and K Laxman are aimed at the two upcoming state polls in Karnataka and Telangana, respectively. In Karnataka, Yediyurappa was asked to make way for Basavaraj Bommai, leading to the former’s unhappiness. However, the BJP could not have managed to go a long way without Yediyurappa’s support as he has in his kitty a very important vote bank in Karnataka — Lingayats.
Lingayats are one of the biggest vote banks in Karnataka and both BJP and Congress eye the voters of this section. It is important to note that Rahul Gandhi had recently paid a visit to a Lingayat mutt in a bid to garner support in the upcoming polls.
A disgruntled Yediyurappa was met by Amit Shah recently and moments later, the former announced that the upcoming polls will be fought in a joint leadership along with Bommai and also said he would begin his tour of the state to make people aware about BJP schemes in the state and the Centre. Yediyurappa also hailed Bommai’s governance.
In Telangana, which is slated to go to polls in 2023, K Laxman will prove to be a strong face to woo the OBC voters. His clout among the backward classes had seen him become the national president of BJP’s OBC Morcha. It was Laxman who helped the BJP make inroads in Telangana.
The aim to garner backward class votes will also be served through the inclusion of Sudha Yadav, who, in 2015, was named the in-charge of the BJP’s OBC Morcha. Since 2019, she has been a member of the National Commission for Backward Classes. Yadav, a staunch BJP leader, has been with the BJP ever since her husband’s death in the Kargil war.
In Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis not only helped BJP regain its place but also sacrificed the Chief Minister’s post to keep the rebel Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde in good humour. A reward to Fadnavis was obvious and his inclusion to BJP’s parliamentary board is probably the best gift that the saffron party can give him, at least for now.
Similarly, Sarbananda Sonowal was rewarded for his sacrifice to make way for Himanta Biswa Sarma as the Chief Minister of Assam. Even before Sarma came to the political picture, Sonowal was a big face in northeast politics. His career started in 1992 as an influential leader of the All Assam Students’ Union (which led the Assam Agitation of 1985). In 2001, Sonowal joined the Asom Gana Parishad and became an MLA the same year and then went on to become an MP. Sonowal has major links in northeast also because he had served as the president of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), an umbrella organisation of different student unions of the region.
(The author is the editor of The Theorist)
