BJP’s formula of picking CMs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imprint is very much evident in the selection of first time MLA Rekha Gupta as the Delhi Chief Minister, ignoring the claims of several senior leaders
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imprint is very much evident
in the selection of first time MLA Rekha Gupta as the Delhi Chief Minister,
ignoring the claims of several senior leaders. Although the fact that the party
took nearly two weeks to pick the Chief Minister might indicate that the
selection process was difficult, the reality was completely different. Judging
by the trend that BJP leadership has adopted while picking the chief ministers
of other states where the party has registered victories in Assembly polls, it
was a foregone conclusion that someone relatively lightweight but deeply-rooted
with RSS ideology would be the next Chief Minister. The formula has earlier
been successfully applied by BJP in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh
by deliberately overlooking the claims of leaders Vasundhara Raje or Shivraj
Singh Chouhan despite their huge popularity. So, notwithstanding names of
senior BJP leaders doing rounds, it was clear from the very beginning that Mr.
Modi would come up with a surprise choice like he did in several other states.
- There are several reasons behind the Prime Minister’s
fascination with propelling politically low-profile but dedicated RSS activists
to the top posts. Such a choice helps him to hit many birds with a single stone.
Firstly, with a new face at the helm of affairs will definitely increase the
honeymoon period substantially which reduces the chances of facing stiff
anti-incumbency challenges from the mid-term itself. Secondly, unexpected choices help to bury the
inner party squabbling as it creates a new power centre, forcing the warring
leaders to reposition themselves to be able to create new political equations.
Thirdly, it is easier to guide a relatively inexperienced leader than a
seasoned one, as he may refuse to be remote controlled. Besides, the RSS
connection will never allow the incumbent government to deviate from Hindutva,
a card which BJP plays judiciously to woo the electorate. As Rekha Gupta
fulfils all these conditions perfectly, neither the Prime Minister, nor his
party has any hesitation to pick her for the coveted, but challenging post
despite lacking in legislative experiences.
- From now onwards, it will be interesting to see the outcome
of this experiment in Delhi as BJP has taken big risks by picking up a little
known face in a state which is very much faction-ridden. In reality factional
feuds had kept the party out of power for nearly three decades. Even BJP
stalwarts like Madanlal Khurana, the person responsible behind the capital
becoming a state, could not complete his full term in office. The fate of
another tall leader of the party Vijay Kumar Malhotra was more pathetic as he
never got a chance to be Delhi's Chief Minister despite serving the party
tirelessly for more than four decades. It is the infighting that had virtually
helped both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to win three consecutive
Assembly elections each. So, despite the Prime Minister’s backing, the major
challenge for Ms. Gupta is to keep her party united to ensure completion of
full five-year-term, a feat which has so far not been achieved by any BJP chief
ministers in Delhi.
