BJP’s tale of two leaders and their foundering party

The trouble was as usual about power and not policy and arose because L.K. Advani told a TV anchor that he had proposed his rival Vajpayee’s name for prime minister last time but next time round did not expect the favour to be returned.

Advani then admitted that he was keen to be prime minister and invoked British parliamentary conventions to strengthen his claim. Is it not usual for the Leader of the Opposition to become prime minister when his party wins?

The interview sent the BJP’s obscure, almost invisible president, Rajnath Singh, into a very public tizzy and he rushed off to assure Vajpayee that he was still numero uno. He also seemed slightly put out at being dismissed as a prime ministerial candidate without realising that the very idea of him as India’s prime minister is laughable.

As for Advani and his high hopes, all that can be said is that if he lowered his sights for a moment he might notice that the once mighty party of Hindutva has crumbled.

If there are young Lok Sabha MPs in the ranks, they sit so far back in the benches as not to be seen, while a small group of Rajya Sabha MPs spends most of the time popping in and out of TV studios, holding forth on every issue under the sun.

The paucity of talent is emphasised every time Vijay Kumar Malhotra, as party spokesman, takes centrestage.

Not once in three years of being our major opposition party has the BJP shown that it understands the issues of the moment and has a worthwhile viewpoint.

Its performance in Parliament has been disgraceful and disruptive.

Every time there is an important debate, BJP MPs have evaded participation and behaved like street fighters instead of lawmakers. What is the point of walking out or descending into the well of the house when it would be so much more effective to articulate an opinion?

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