While few can cavil at Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s new place at the centre of things under BJP president Rajnath Singh, given his newfound popularity among the faithful, Mr Singh’s team selection has left two crucial gaps, which is likely to disadvantage the party.
With the downsizing of three important Cabinet ministers of the erstwhile NDA government at the Centre — Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie — the message is unmistakable that in the foreseeable future the BJP is not looking to be a normal party of the right in which the Hindu tinge can be retained without becoming an overwhelming factor.
That is the direction in which a section of the party had wanted to move with the blessing of a stalwart like L.K. Advani, who retains his place in the parliamentary board without having too much say in ordering the BJP’s organisational levers. Somewhat anti-Congress middle-of-the-road elements in society, who tend to take an all-India rather than a regional view, may thus be left without a mooring.
The second and important gap — even within the RSS scheme of things — has been made conspicuous by not paying even lip service to the idea of public morality. The elevation of Modi acolyte Amit Shah as general secretary, while he is on trial for serious criminal offences, undercuts the traditional ideals propagated by the RSS. Such a step may not have passed muster if Atal Behari Vajpayee were well enough to have his voiced heard.