Strong regional leaders call shots in BJP
The Congress is watching developments in the BJP where regional satraps are calling the shots.
In fact, the victory of Mr D.V. Sadananda Gowda as the Karnataka BJP Legislature Party chief is seen as a setback to the party high command which wanted to check his mentor and former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
In Gujarat, the writ of the BJP high command does not work. There, The Sangh Parivar, consisting of the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, has been playing second fiddle to chief minister Narendra Modi.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has emerged stronger after retaining power in Madhya Pradesh for a second time while Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh has virtually got a free hand in the Naxal-hit state.
In Rajasthan, Leader of the Opposition Vasundhara Raje is in a commanding position.
However, Balraj Madhok, Kalyan Singh and Madan Lal Khurana got isolated and were later compelled to quit the BJP when they dared the high command.
As far as the Congress Party is concerned, it has been losing strong second-rung leaders in states. In fact, the party does not have regional satraps in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Orissa and Jharkhand.
The Congress came to power at the Centre through tactical alliances in states. Earlier, its regional heavyweights were seen as national leaders. But the fact is that a section of the party is advocating that it should ensure strong regional leaders. “They cannot be a threat to the Leadership,” a senior party leader viewed.
If the Congress wants to come to power on its own after the next Lok Sabha elections, then it has to strengthen regional leaders. “You cannot win elections with the help of defectors or merely caste leaders,” the leader said.
The Congress had played this game against Mr Modi in Gujarat and Mr Nitish Kumar in Bihar but it did not work.
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