BJP vs Others: How saffron party’s organisational structure with Modi hallmark makes a difference

The chief ministers in the three states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh have taken office. Their council is also taking shape. Along with it, Prime Minister Modi’s leadership has passed a test with flying colours. If one is to argue that these were state polls and Brand Modi had little to do with them, then must I remind how the entire opposition was ready to claim it as dying of ‘Modi Wave’, had the results been otherwise. Chattisgarh, for instance, was nowhere in contesting positions for the BJP. So much so that many had considered the Congress victory in the state a given. But that was well before Modi stepped into the electoral battle. Through the year, PM Modi was involved in multiple projects, including ones with international implications for Bharat, i.e., the G20 India summit. Soon after it was over, PM Modi entered the electoral campaign, and things started looking brighter for his party. CM Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, is now popular for his skills with the sword that he perhaps learnt at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Shakha; Bhajan Lal Sharma is looked upon as a man who single-handedly managed the party office. And, then, we have the first tribal chief minister of Chattisgarh, Vishnu Deo Sai. The elevation of these three, overlooking or putting aside claims of some stalwarts in their respective states, says a lot about the BJP’s way of functioning. With this remarkable win in the run-up to the 2024 general elections, PM Modi and the BJP have established themselves as forerunners, leaving the Gandhi family-led Congress much behind. There are, of course, many reasons behind it, and Congress would need to do deep introspection to understand it. However, one reason that gives the BJP an upper hand is the organisational workings of the BJP. It has been some time on the national level that party leaders have shared their thoughts on how the BJP works. Yet, it continues to surprise many. But this is one key factor that separates the BJP from other parties: The organisational working of the party, with Modi hallmark on it. After travelling across the country and perhaps taking blessings and guidance from Sadhus in the Himalayas and Saints in the South, young Narendra Modi in the 1970s got back to his home state of Gujarat and joined the RSS. It was through his learnings that he realised the importance of organisation building. PM Modi has written about it in a book about how so many in the Sangh leadership shaped him into the man that he is today. After growing through the ranks through service in the RSS, Modi was shifted to the BJP organisation in Gujarat. It was for the first time here that Modi‘s organisation-building activities began showing positive results for the BJP in Gujarat. Over the next few years, Gujarat BJP turned into a model organisation. In the mid-1990s, Modi shifted to Panchkula, Haryana, as the National Secretary-in-Charge for Haryana, among other states. The organisational watermark was visible in the 2014 state assembly elections in the state when the BJP won polls in the state for the first time. The functioning of the party, wherein the organisation reigns supreme, has become a permanent feature of the party. In fact, it is precisely this aspect that has kept factionalism or intra-party rivalries under control. Of course, there is an overarching impression of Modi-Shah functioning, which ensures things stay as smooth as they could be. This sense of discipline and towing the party line are features of the party today. Everyone is important, and nobody is untouchable. Take the case of Rajasthan before the elections. Vasundhara Raje was tipped to be the possible CM. Though there were other names, of course. More names were added to the list after the results. However, not many were expecting a first-time MLA to step out of the hat, heading straight to the helm in the state. Similarly, many still consider it a major surprise that Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the beloved ‘Mama’ in Madhya Pradesh, was sidelined for Yadav. But, as the decision was taken, there was no scope for diversions. Likewise, in Chattisgarh, former CM Raman Singh was appointed as speaker, and Vishnu Deo Sai from Raigarh became the chief minister. By giving new leadership a chance, the party saw and accepted the need for a change in organisation at the state level. In fact, it is to the credit of the party organisation that it not only saw the change coming but also accepted it. This particular aspect shows the difference between the BJP and other parties. It also shows the level of internal democracy that the party has successfully instilled in its organisation over the years. The electoral victory in three states was as much about PM Modi’s hard work as it was about the functioning of the party organisation at different levels. It also proved that the BJP organisation was not leader-centric, contrary to what popular perception has been in the last several years. In a way, the Kshatrap-style functioning of political governance is a thing of the past. The BJP president actually reflected on the same when he said that the party looks at each worker very closely. And, much like how it happens in corporate houses, a 360-degree assessment of a person is done before their elevation. It is, therefore, in this seamless transition of leadership that the strength of the BJP lies. The author is an academic and policy professional based out of offices in Haryana and Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._

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