Finally, zero-tolerance towards jihadi terrorism is a must; but will the BJP also pledge to work for riot-free India? Appeasement is detestable, but will it reach out to poor Muslims with a programme based on its own slogan of “Justice for all”? Or will it, in spite of disastrous results in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, yield to the influence of those who think that Hindutva simply means consolidation of the “Hindu vote-bank”?

L.K. Advani is Atalji’s worthy successor in the BJP. He is not a poet, but nor is Obama. Who says only poets can campaign in poetry? There is no other leader in India today who can deliver a reassuring message rooted in oft-tested personal conviction than Advaniji. Some might argue, as Hillary Clinton actually did last week, “You may campaign in poetry, but you have to govern in prose.” She said it to underscore her message that while her rival talks well, only she has the experience of 35 years of public service. On the count of experience, too, Advaniji, who entered public life before 1947, stands unrivalled. And who says only the young can inspire the young? A few months ago, when he (then nearing 80) went for a function at Raigad Fort, the majestic mountain-top capital of Shivaji, a 40-year-old BJP leader in Maharashtra told me, “Advaniji shamed us by walking and climbing the steps faster than we could.” It’s now for him to prove he can climb to the top.