This refers to the report, “ >It’s fake vs. real BJP, says Jaswant ” (March 23). The BJP’s move to sideline veteran leader Jaswant Singh by denying him the ticket to contest from his home constituency Barmer comes close on the heels of the Advani ticket issue, and has put the party on a sticky wicket. It has also come under fire for denying the ticket to Harin Pathak, a close associate of L.K. Advani. Narendra Modi’s hand seems to be evident in all these moves and puts the party in poor light. Cracks within the party ranks are beginning to surface. The BJP will need to get its flock together and prevent a split in its ranks if it entertains any hope of giving its rivals a run for their money.
N. J. Ravi Chander ,
Bangalore
It is evident that the BJP is now in self-destruct mode. The party is rapidly losing momentum because of internal tussles. There is nothing creditable in the way Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley have been treating veterans of the party. The general public perception is that this is not the way to show deference to elders. L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi had to swallow their pride but Mr. Singh has hit out, calling the Modi-led BJP ‘fake.’ The unabated internal dissensions can be linked to the ill-disguised attempts made to boost Mr. Modi’s ‘action man’ image. This is the price the party is paying for replacing collective leadership and decision-making with an autocratic leader and his dictates. Soon it will be left to rely solely on marketing and media hype to romp home.
G. David Milton ,
Maruthancode, Thrissur
Denial of the ticket to senior leader Jaswant Singh by the BJP, and the shabby treatment meted out to party patriarch L.K. Advani point to a deep-rooted plan by the Modi brigade to get rid of the old guard. The systematic sidelining of other leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi gives ample evidence of the new power equations within the BJP after Mr. Modi’s takeover.
The move to brush aside all questions in this regard in the name of change is a clever attempt to divert attention from the real issue of transparency in ticket distribution. That the open protestations of a senior leader like Sushma Swaraj on the issue of admission of tainted persons to the party went unheeded is saddening. If this is what the BJP is like before the election, one shudders to think what might happen if it emerges victorious.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan ,
Tiruchi
Pre-poll surveys and indications of the general public opinion place the BJP in the lead, indeed far ahead of its opponents. Recent mass defections by politicians can be attributed more to their quest for personal gains rather than for the public cause. The party’s endorsement of these defectors at the cost of local grassroot leaders shows its desperation to regain power at any cost. Denial of the ticket to veterans like Jaswant Singh proves that it is now being steered by few individuals and not ideology.
Nishant Choudhary ,
Visakhapatnam
For a veteran leader who has been elected MP four times and held important positions, Jaswant Singh seems to be lacking the kind of maturity and patience expected of him. He should know that political parties have their own mechanisms for the selection of candidates. They may have important considerations to take into account, other than pleasing party men. Sometimes even senior leaders have to accept adverse decisions in the interests of the party. Political life has its vicissitudes and most party men go through disappointments. The proper way to redress the issue is to present it to the party leadership and not lash out in public with intemperate criticism. If Mr. Singh remains convinced that the alternative that is offered is unfair, the honourable course for him would be to resign his membership and pursue whatever course he deems appropriate.
A.N. Lakshmanan ,
Bangalore
