BJP in need of Advani's authority, says Kulkarni

CRISIS WITHIN THE BJP
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) leader and political advisor Sudheendra Kulkarni announced his decision to quit the party on Sunday following ideological differences. Kulkarni, a former editor of Blitz, has been a journalist for 25 years and had joined the BJP in 1995.
From 1998 to 2004 he was an advisor to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and was also an aide to leader of Opposition LK Advani from 2004 to 2009. A former strategist and BJP ideologue, Kulkarni played a key role for the party during the General Elections 2009.
The BJP has been facing one crisis after another following the Lok Sabha election debacle. Jaswant Singh's book on Mohammad Ali Jinnah, rebellion by leaders like Arun Shourie, Yaswant Singh and Vasundhara Raje have shown that not all is right in the principal Opposition party of India.
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I would not like to comment on what Arun Shourieji has said. But even though I am not in the party any more, I share the concern and anguish of tens of thousands of dedicated members, well wishers and members of the party… the party is going through a difficult phase and like all of them, I hope sincerely hope that the party comes out of this soon.
CNN-IBN: Arun Shourie is clearly that the entire top leadership, he referred to Mao Tse-Tung strategy of bombarding the entire central leadership and bringing in state leaders… do you think this is a crisis of leadership. Every one is targeting Rajnath Singh?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: Of course it is a crisis of leadership and I think the biggest mistake was committed in 2005 when Shri Advaniji was asked to step down. When you undermine the authority of your tallest leader in this manner this is the logical consequence. Therefore I believe even now the authority of Shri Advaniji should be restored.
CNN-IBN: Do you believe Advani could have done more to keep all together?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: Obviously he is the most experienced, most knowledgeable, fairest and the most selfless leader in the BJP. He alone can set things right. His authority should be restored. The party I believe is really missing Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This party was taken to great heights by Atalji because of his personality and because of his vision. He embraced even those sections of society who were not really attracted by the BJP and therefore the party must understand that there is a great merit and value in Vajpayeeism and it should be restored. The absolutely wrong action against Jaswant Singhji should be annulled. This as an outsider is what I feel.
CNN-IBN: Every one has criticised Rajnath Singh. Do you think Rajnath Singh must step down?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I won't comment on that.
CNN-IBN: You said you do shares the concerns of the party. But what Arun Shourie has said today is different. He said that the RSS…
Sudheendra Kulkarni: What I said is that I share the concerns of all members of the party.
CNN-IBN: How can a party move ahead if each leader is speaking in very different voice? He (Arun Shourie) said the party should take control.
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I said that the authority of Shri Advaniji was undermined in 2005 and this is the logical conclusion. Therefore today young leaders and there are very capable young leaders at different levels of the party and they alone can take this party forward. But it needs the guidance of Advaniji whose authority should be restored.
CNN-IBN: There is a belief that Jaswant Singh and Arun Shouries are not mass leaders, Sudheendra Kulkarni is a journalist and their exit is not going to affect the party much.
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I was a very ordinary activist of the party but Jaswant Singhhji is a founder member if the BJP. He occupied three very important portfolios in Vajpyee's government. He was also the deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission. He was convener of the NDA and you expel him without giving him a chance and what is the reason… his book that has not been read by a single person. It is a completely unjustified stand and as I said it is going to haunt the BJP for a long time to come and therefore the sooner it is rectified the better it is for the party.
CNN-IBN: Do you think that Arun Shourie will be sacked?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I don't want to comment on that.
CNN-IBN: You have said that solution if to restore LK Advani's authority over the party. There are others and Arun Shourie said it is upto the RSS now. Do you think the RSS needs to come in and take control?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I won't comment on what Shourieji has said.
CNN-IBN: All the leaders including Shourie seem to suggest that they have raised these issues at the National Executive, they have raised these issues in party fora and yet they chose to come out in public at some point in time and raise the issues. What is happening inside the party that none of these if getting addressed?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: Arun Shourie is not just a journalist, he is a very eminent thinker of the nation. When he speaks then there is certainly some anguish in him. Therefore I think that with all that is happening in the party, deeper action is needed, corrective action is needed and in my view three things: there has to be one leader whose authority is unquestioned. Why is the Congress party so strong? It seems to be so strong because the top leader's authority is unquestioned.
CNN-IBN: But wasn't that supposed to be not the case with the party with a difference?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: Exactly. Till Atalji was active in the party his word was final. Nobody questioned his authority. After him it was Advaniji. Unfortunately his authority was undermined in 2005 and right lessons must be learnt and his authority must be restored. He is capable of setting thing right.
CNN-IBN: Do you think what happened in 2005 is what's playing out in 2009?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I believe whatever is happening now is the logical consequence of the unfortunate action of asking him to step down as the president of the party.
CNN-IBN: Why is the BJP becoming so intolerant of any criticism?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: Even though I am not in the party, I believe there is immense resilience in the party, there is lot of inner strength in the party, very capable leaders at all levels and a vast army of dedicated and committed workers and therefore this crisis will be overcome. I am sure it will be overcome.
CNN-IBN: Your optimism is not shared by many people. They are just watching and saying it is free fall now.
Sudheendra Kulkarni: No. There is no question of any free fall. All those who think so will be belied. This party, whatever is happening is unfortunate, but you will see that it will overcome all this.
CNN-IBN: So you are saying that Advani should come back as the president of the party.
Sudheendra Kulkarni: No. I am not saying that. But he is the tallest leader. He is capable of guiding the party. He is has been with the party since 1951 and he is…
CNN-IBN: You don't think that he should be looking to the younger leadership?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: What I am saying is that leadership is not a question of age. He is a very active person and therefore he is the most precious asset of the party.
CNN-IBN: What about the core question of ideology? There is a great amount of confusion in the BJP. What is the way forward?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: That is why I say Vajpayeeism.
CNN-IBN: Vajpayeeism is moderate.
Sudheendra Kulkarni: Yes. That is why I say the party must become inclusive. It must embrace all sections of Indian society including those sections which have remained so far outside the influence of the party. That is how the party will become stronger.
CNN-IBN: You have spoken about the humanism of Deen Dayal Updhayaya. You have spoken about Vajpayeeism. Do you think that the Hindutva agenda for the BJP is a problem and that the party is not in sync with the time and its right wing ideology that many are now pushing towards really the problem?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: What attracted me to the BJP is the philosophy of integral humanism which I think is one of the major contributions to political philosophy in the world. It is universal. You can't think of a more integral philosophy than of humanism. The BJP should rediscover the value of integral humanism. It should rediscover the philosophy of taking everyone one along. That is true nationalism.
CNN-IBN: But each of the three leaders who have either been sacked or walked out have said different things about this inclusive policy that you seem to be talking about. Is there a fault?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I can't talk about what others have said. This is what I believe in. I think after having worked for this party for 13 years I have seen Atalji the way he handled issues. There was certain invisible touch that resolved problems.
CNN-IBN: Has the BJP really lost the difference from the Congress? Is there really no difference between the two parties?
Sudheendra Kulkarni: I won't say that. Look at the way the Congress has emerged stronger. Today the Congress is talking about drought and it is asking its MPs to cut their salaries by 20 per cent and what is the BJP doing. It is very sad. That is why the BJP must emerge out of this crisis and come out stronger.

Advani's authority was not diminished during the Jinnah episode. Rather, the moral authority of the RSS over the BJP was fortified during the episode. This is what makes BJP a unique political party - always under the guidance of the moral authority of its mother organization. Kulkarni say the Congress is strong because it has an unquestioned leader in Sonia. The BJP is not in need of such a leader so long as the moral leadership of the RSS prevails in the BJP. The Nehru family has systematically decimated the organizational integrity of the Congress and reduced it to a pocket-borough of the Nehru family. Today it is at the whip and leash of Sonia and Rahul. Hardly a model the BJP would want to emulate. I suggest Kulkarni uses his sabbatical away from the BJP to study the unique link between the RSS and BJP and realize that this unique symbiotic relationship is the greatest guarantee that India would remain a moral democratic nation and not pass on into the hands of a dictator from the Nehru family, as it almost happened during the emergency, which was short-circuited thanks to the RSS.

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