How Rajnath Singh is a consensus candidate for the BJP and RSS

Three years ago, when Rajnath Singh relinquished office he went out with singular distinction of serving as BJP president for an extended term of four years. He had broken a jinx that had gripped the BJP president’s office – that no one had been able to complete a full term in office since year 2000. Successive party chiefs beginning with Bangaru Laxman, Jana Krishnamurthy, Venkaiah Naidu and LK Advani had to quit office mid-way for different reasons. Even a leader of Advani’s stature had to resign due to a confrontation with the RSS over his comments about Jinnah that erupted into a controversy. However, Advani’s term which concluded on 30 December, 2005 at BJP National Council meeting in Mumbai marked a sea change in relations between the RSS and BJP. The RSS was no longer just the ideological fountainhead but had become a master of sorts of the BJP and wanted to micro-manage the party. Rajnath Singh was the chosen one to do that and he had to perform a tough task with rather delicate touch. Since he was a RSS nominee, he was viewed both with suspicion and awe. As he was tasked to take the party away from the grip of Advani, there were occasions of internal conflicts all through his presidential term between 2005 to 2009. But both leaders maintained cordial relations in public, Rajnath always appearing to give due respect to Advani’s seniority and stature. But some scars seem to have remained, which is why Advani initially opposed his name but later compromised, agreeing to make him the party president for the second time. [caption id=“attachment_598860” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sweet relations? Rajnath and Advani have managed to maintain cordial relations in public despite differences in opinion. AFP[/caption] However, the situation in the party has changed now. Rajnath is a “consensus” candidate of the BJP and the RSS. He will lead the party in the 2014 elections. Singh was the party chief in the 2009 elections when the party lost, but his supporters say that his experience of being at the helm will help in formulating strategy to rejuvenate the party this time round. Rajnath’s surprise nomination as party president also contains a message: if the Congress had reposed greater faith in its dynastic system by elevating Rahul Gandhi to post of Vice-President, the BJP is also giving command to someone who has ‘son of soil’ credentials and is gearing up to 2014 in a different way. Rahul may have made Congressmen cry with his emotional anecdotes of family’s trauma through despair and hope, but Rajnath being picked as a presidential candidate has certainly enthused BJP cadre. The fact that Rajnath belongs to the dominant Rajput community from Uttar Pradesh and has been chief minister of the state in the past could help the party find its footing in the key Hindi heartland state, which sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha. He and Narendra Modi, a rising star in the party nationally, have also developed good relationship in the past few months, something that Gadkari was seen to have failed at. Rajnath was there in Gujarat to flag off Modi’s pre-poll Vivekanand Youth Yatra, he campaigned during the election and was prominently visible on the dais during the Gujarat Chief Minister’s swearing-in ceremony. If Modi is to be the Prime Ministerial candidate, he will need to focus on improving the party’s prospects in Uttar Pradesh and that’s where Rajnath may play a crucial role. How the Rajnath-Modi combination develops and what effect it has on Modi’s prime ministerial ambitions will be interesting to watch. In the upcoming round of state elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, where the Congress and the BJP would be pitted against each other later this year, Rajnath’s presence at the helm will be helpful for the party, given he was party chief when elections in these states took place the last time. Another thing that goes in Rajnath’s favour is that while he has good equations with practically all his colleagues, he also shares a fine rapport with all parties that are part of the NDA and potential allies. Even if he has been party president in the past he carries no baggage from it. His supporters believe he can bring more to the table when needed. Given Rajnath shares an excellent relations with RSS, it will be interesting to see how he maintains a balance between ensuring his own autonomy and the RSS’s inclination to micro-manage the party. A great believer in faith and destiny, Rajnath got his second term as party president on a platter due to the perceived failings of the RSS’ previous chosen one, Gadkari. He now has the unenviable task of salvaging the party’s prospects for 2014, possibly working with Narendra Modi.