Modi is BJP's PM candidate: Coronation complete

The coronation of Narendra Modi was everything the man is not: indisciplined and poorly executed. The spectacle of a Lal Kishan Advani making a last and futile stance eclipsed the pomp and muddied the circumstances. “I have always been very critical of Mr Advani’s conduct,” said a ‘very, very, very happy’ Ram Jethmalani, “I hope he will make up for it today by becoming generous person who is willing to renounce his personal ambition for the sake of the nation.” Or at least for the sake of the party which has decided to place all its bets on its only viable racehorse. That it chose to do so on Friday the 13th will no doubt be seen as prophetic in certain quarters, but such Western symbolism matters little to the RSS honchos who know their shubh muhurats. So it is finally done. The will of the RSS and the rank-and-file BJP wokers has triumphed, and what was once in doubt now looks, in retrospect, overdue and inevitable. Narendra Modi is finally the undisputed leader of the BJP, and its chosen prime ministerial candidate – a fact even naysayers like Sushma Swaraj have now accepted. [caption id=“attachment_1107917” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Celebrations after Modi was picked by the BJP as its PM candidate. PTI[/caption] Though Swaraj had maintained a studied silence in public, it is believed that like Advani, she too was of the opinion that if at all, Modi’s coronation should happen after the state polls. However, as it became increasingly clear that BJP President is likely to side with popular sentiments within the party and leave their camp out in the cold, she was seen accompanying Nitin Gadkari during his trips to Advani’s house to placate him. After the announcement, Swaraj looked subdued without a trace of the smile, and quickly jumped into her car and left the meeting – giving the group photo-ops with Modi a miss. The reality is that the BJP does not possess a single leader with the national stature or appeal of a Modi – Advani included. This was a no-brainer except that BJP’s best bet is also its riskiest. Rajnath Singh phoned NDA partners to inform them of Modi’s anointment, perhaps as a way to leak the news or to make them feel included. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told CNN IBN that even before the decision of a Parliamentary Board meet was taken, Singh had called up Uddhav Thackeray and informed him about Modi’s candidature. In response the Shiv Sena chief had pledged support to him. “We will all fight under the leadership of Modi ji,” said Raut. Whatever Singh’s intent, the reality is that he only had to make two calls. That’s not much of an alliance, even if you throw in a Jayalalithaa. Modi had already taken charge of the party’s alliances when he made just the right noises to placate Jayalalithaa. According to an article on Hindu, Jayalalithaa’s response, however, was lukewarm. She ruled out the possibility of a tie-up at the Centre. However, she called him a ‘good friend ’, keeping open the way for a negotiation. Then again, success breeds admiration and allies. A Modi with momentum will overcome compunctions that now feel more compelling. But Modi’s ascension also comes right on the heels of the UP riots, which are a reminder of uglier days. No one wants to go back to the mayhem of rath yatra politics, falling rupee and tanking growth rate be damned. The RSS paved Modi’s path to the throne, and keeping them happy may well prove expensive for a man who wants to be king. Modi supporters may claim that polarising is good for the vote-count in UP – which is optimistic – but it is not an asset for a future prime minister. Modi may not be interested in courting the Muslim vote, but he can’t afford to spook those fence-sitters – or the long list of potential allies who can’t afford his lofty disdain for “minority appeasement.” Take for example, Mamata Banerjee. The moment Trinamool walked out of the UPA, BJP lost no time in reaching out to her and condemning the Congress for letting go a valuable ally. Banerjee, however, was far from charmed. In fact, in July this year, while addressing a panchayat election rally in rural West Bengal, Banerjee had said , “We do not support Narendra Modi, nor will we support him (in future).” Until now, Modi’s power was measured by his ability to ride roughshod over opposition within the party. Now it will be measured by his capacity to attract support on the outside. This is the tougher challenge for a man not known for his powers of persuasion. Modi knows how to wield that big stick, but speaking softly is not his strength. He will have renounce his penchant for “50-crore rupee girlfriend” remarks, and aim instead for the lofty rhetoric of statesmanship. It was indeed a kinder and gentler Modi who showed up on stage in Delhi today. A soft-spoken man who talked about namrata and shraddha. There were no signature catch-phrases or thunderous declarations of triumph, but instead a tone of conciliation aimed at his critics within the party. Modi is slated go meet Advani soon after the announcement. If he does manage to sweet-talk the angry old man back into the fold, it bodes well both for him and the BJP in 2014.