Former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani has startled the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership with an apparent endorsement of Gujarat Chief Minister's claims to be the party's candidate for Prime Minister in the next general election.
In an article posted on his blog on Friday, Mr. Advani wrote: “Now, American lawmakers and the State Department are being primed for the return of the BJP to power in New Delhi, with [Mr.]Modi at the helm as Prime Minister, following what U.S. analysts say is a precipitous decline in the Congress party's fortunes due to a string of corruption scandals.”
For his assessment of United States official opinion, Mr. Advani has relied on a recent report of the Washington DC-based Congressional Research Service.
The report, like others regularly produced by the non-partisan CRS, is intended to provide U.S. legislators an overview of various shades of media and public opinion. The lead author of the report, K. Alan Kronstadt, said in a letter to The Hindu that the CRS reports “are not primary sources”, making clear the report is not intended to provide an independent evaluation of Mr. Modi's position.
Mr. Advani's September 8 announcement that he would undertake a country-wide yatra against corruption had been widely read as an effort to project himself as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate .
In turn, the Gujarat Chief Minister had said he would be undertaking a three-day fast for communal harmony. Mr Modi made his announcement after the Supreme Court issued orders asking a trial court to consider charges that he had been complicit in the communal violence that rocked the State in 2002, a decision the BJP proclaimed to be a victory.
The apparent jockeying between Mr. Modi and Mr. Advani has caused some bemusement among the BJP's leadership. “Shaadi to hui nahin, bache ki baat ho rahi hai (“even though the marriage is yet to take place, people are talking about the children that will be born of it”)”, one senior party leader told The Hindu, a sardonic reference to the fact that a leadership race seemed to have broken out even though elections were still distant. .
Comments:
A simple question. Why not Modi? Rahul gandhi or others who are contenders for this position are not perfect either. Atleast Modi has developed Gujarat to such a level, even USA is making remarks about it. So its high time we leave religious politics aside and give nation a chance.
I would appreciate if the non-partial journalism can write with same open mindedness for Rahul Gandhi as well? Be open and weigh each political party in the same way. That way we will be able to build a better journalistic India.
There is no doubt that with his foresight for development Narendra Modi will prove himself to be a better Prime Minister than Congress aspirants.
It is a good idea to project a successful Chief Minister like Mr. Narendra Modi as a candidate for PM’s post. However, there are two difficulties. First, whether all NDA partners are ready to accept Mr. Modi as their unanimous leader. Second is the burden of 2002 riots. In order to bury the past, it may be necessary for the BJP and Mr. Narendra Modi in particular, to offer unconditional apologies to the people of Gujarat and the country for whatever happened during the post Godhra riots in 2002. All along BJP has maintained that it was a spontaneous response of people and the State government had no role in the riots. But doubts remain. An unconditional pardon to the families who lost the dear ones is not a final answer to the injustice done to them but they say it is never late to seek a pardon. Our PM Mr. Manmohan Singh has done it for the what happened during anti Sikh riots of 1984.
From past history, it can be seen that the BJP says one thing and means something else. This has been the undoing of the Party. The hold the RSS has on the Party is not acknowledged openly and this is the cause of most of it's double talk. It has no clear guiding principles and is generally wishy washy on it's opinion on various subjects. Take the case of 'Cash for Votes scam';if those arrested MPs were whistle blowers why did they keep quite for 3 years? They dubbed them as 'whistle blowers' after 3 years only when they were arrested. Similarly their support of the Reddy brothers was based on the money they gave to the Party and not on principles. The Supreme Court never gave a clean chit to Mr.Modi, but the BJP's own Goebbels start making a false propaganda.The Party has lost it's credibility totally and the infighting for top posts only makes every body laugh. Though the Congress is corrupt and is biassed towards it's vote bank it is consistent in the rubbish it talks.
I am little bit surprised with the way THE HINDU is commenting on the fast undertaken by Modi. No political leader in India today has a stature of Modi. Look at the way he has brought up Gujarat. If at all the terrorist wants to strike they would love to do it Gujarat but Modi has taken care that in the last 10 years of his rule no such kind has happened. He may not be openly giving statements like what Chidambaram or Kapil Sabil do day in and day out. But he has made everyone in the congress party feel nervous. I have never seen any congressmen openly acknowledging Modi's great administration inculding the Prime Minister. All they talk about him is only about the riots. This is not doing justice for him. If at all India have to move forward this person Modi the apt one for the Prime Minister candidate. What is wrong in it. Why through your articles try to make a rift between Modi / Advani.
When Rahul Gandhi is practically annointed Prime Minister-in- waiting by the Congress, media doesn't ask any questions about it as if the young man was born to become Prime Minister of India. But if anyone suggests the name of L.K.Advani or Narendra Modi, both of whom highly experienced senior leaders of BJP, as possible candidates for the top post,the suggestion is analysed in great detail and is even made fun of by the media. Balanced comments in the fourth estate is now a thing of the past and that is bad for a democrcy.
I think it is very bemusing to see the extent some people will go to in order to defame Modi while overlooking crooks in other political parties. Why didn't the "special correspondent" of this article write a similar piece when big mouth Digvijay Singh endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the PM, and that too in such a crass sycophant manner? According to some and they would always want to believe so, the Supreme Court of India is biased, the 6 crore people of Gujarat are biased, the BJP as the main opposition party in the Indian democracy is biased, and so are their fellow citizens who have seen through and had enough of this Modi and BJP bashing. This article's intentions are plain and childish, and it is really sad to be subject to such pieces of journalism from a reputed newspaper like The Hindu.
The media consistently applied double standards when it came to Narendra Modi.The anti-Sikh riots of 1983,the Ahmedabad riots of 1969,nellie massacre in Assam and the cleansing of kashmiri pandits all happened under watch of congress.But Rajiv Gandhi or the concerned chief ministers were never held accountable for their alleged complicity.The gujarat riots of 2002 are for the courts to judge and certainly not for tainted organisations like congress and its sycophantic spokespersons.Even the media should ponder over this duplicity.
It is in the interest of our nation if Modi becomes Prime Minister. Although it is not good for Gujarat. In the state we are experiencing a transparent, corruption free and care-taking government. I doubt that except Modi, anyone else would be able to provide us with the security, peace and prosperity.
Let us think impartially and apolitically. It is true that both Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi have been politically disfigured on account of various issues. Our revered Supreme Court has acquitted N. Modi. Rahul Gandhi has not been judicially proved guilty either. So, the only point of difference is that N.Modi has proved himself as the most competent Chief Minister at the state level while Rahul Gandhi, with his zero administrative experience in governance, has shown his inability even as a Congress leader. Fact still remains the same- Only a charismatic leader can lead India to the future it deserves.
What are the chances of Narendra Modi as PM? If Modi clears journey from trial court to supreme court (as instructed by the supreme court). Who will support Modi in primarily non-BJP states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, J&K, Odisha and entire North-East. Can anybody logically dream of being PM without support from these states, totaling to 196 seats? Will other states accept development without natural and social justice?
Will SC/ST/OBC (constituting over 80% of India's population) support to a Brahminical ideologue, Modi?
Let us not worry about who is going to be the next PM. For people Modi or Rahul Gandhi is same.What we finally want is good governance. All people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari should live in peace and harmony. It is not in the hands of PM. Let officials working in the State/Central Government understand the needs of the people and accordingly plan schemes and implement atleast following: 1) Clean Drinking water 2) Uninterepted Power 3) Roads and transportation 4) Drainage and sewage disposal system. Extend subsidies to such of those needy based on financial status and not on Caste,community and religion basis.