L K Advani’s rath is set to roll out for a fresh leg of yatra after a lapse of twenty-one years.
The theme is not temple or Hindutva this time around. It is anti-corruption. The objective is not only to bring back the BJP to power but also to push himself to the prime ministerial candidature, for he is sure the post is no longer reserved for him.
And that is the real hitch.
It starts from the very theme. Anna Hazare might have provided amphitheater for all those who can spiel on anti-corruption, but what Advani has to say to the audience with Yeddys, Reddys, and Modis in to his ranks and files?
He has dared the UPA government to arrest him in the cash-for-vote scam, for he was aware of the sting operation carried out by his party men. He knows no one can arrest him for the crime of knowing the sting operation. But, what about knowing the misdeeds of the Yeddys, Reddys, and Modis, and keeping silent on them? Can he ask for a jail term for himself for this crime?
In fact, it will catch imagination of the audience, if he makes this as the theme of his rath yathra.
Leave alone Bangaru Laxman, who caught in camera while collecting wads of currency notes from deal masters. Advani knew the poor chap was only accepting donations for the party fund. The money collected by his two MPs could have also been converted into the party fund had it not aimed at the stabilization of the UPA government. The sting operation conducted by Tehalka was politically motivated, and the sting operation done by the BJP MPs is done to do a great service to democracy. And Advani knew it better.
He knew B S Yeddyurappa could win elections for his party in Karnataka and he was happy to handover the leadership to him. How jubilant he was when he came down from Delhi to Bangalore to bless the new chief minister, who took oath on the steps of Vidhana Soudha. He knew the Karnataka poster boy could establish the first BJP government in South India only due to money and muscle power of the Reddys, who have despoiled Bellary. So he congratulated the mining lords for inventing ‘operation lotus’ to poach MLAs from the opposition parties. He knew they could have achieved it by spending money like water.
He also knew Sushma Swaraj, his successor as the leader of the opposition in the Loksabha, making annual trip to Bellary on Varamahalakshmi festival to collect ‘lakshmi’, and he knew the Reddys presenting luxury gifts to his party president Nitin Gdakari. But, we don’t know whether he knows about what Janardana Reddy has singed in the CBI custody.
He knew Narendra Modi dodged for seven years without appointing Lokayukta in Gujrath. Still he and his party are the patent holders of Anna Hazare’s ant-corruption manthra.
He knew his son-like Santhosh Hegde sitting in the position of Lokayukta could come handy in getting rid of Yeddyurappa in Karnataka, while there was none in Gujrath. The row over the appointment of the Lokayukta there, and the corruption charges against the state government might help him in getting rid of a contender for the PM post: Modi.
He has to say all this in his rata yatra.
Now consider the question of his prime ministerial candidature. It is a pity that the patriarch, who is credited to have brought the BJP from two seats level to the ruling party status, had to say he had taken the permission of Gadkari for his proposed rath yatra. And what was Gadkaris’ reaction? The BJP president said, “There is no question of the party going under an individual leadership. It is collective leadership we are thinking about.”
Another prime minister in waiting Sushma has bluntly thrown water on Advani’s enthusiasm by saying rath yathra wouldn’t produce a prime minister.
We know Advani knows all this and that is why we are doubtful on the take off of his yatra.
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