Rajnath Singh is a BJP leader who is well rooted to the ground. After assuming charge for a second term as the BJP president, Singh who is in control of the main opposition party in the run up to the 2014 General Elections, talks in a wide ranging interview with A Sandeep and Anil Pandey
As the new BJP president, what are the biggest challenges that confront you?
My emphasis is on cleaning politics. Whether it is a party leader or a worker, actions have to match words. One of the main reasons why politicians are being discredited is what they say in public does not match up to what they do in private. That is the biggest crisis facing political parties and it is by no means confined to the BJP. We will try to gain the confidence of the people by our words and actions and I am sure it will work.
The 2014 General Elections are crucial to the BJP. Do you have a road map ahead?
People often talk about road maps but I believe that if every district and village has committed party cadres, no force can stop a political party from winning elections. Money power is not enough.
Will Narendra Modi lead the BJP in the 2014 General Elections?
The BJP tradition is that any decision on the prime ministerial candidate is the prerogative of the party’s Central Parliamentary Board (CPB). They select a candidate taking everyone into confidence.
What would be LK Advani’s role?
The inspiration and guidance of senior leaders will certainly be there.
The BJP will not be able to get a majority in 2014 because of the influence of regional parties, who may be able to cobble up numbers of their own to set up a Third Front or third alternative.
Our aim is to get a majority on our own. But it may not happen. This is the age of alliance politics. The BJP will then head a coalition of parties to form a government. Many political parties will join us.
In Atal Behari Vajpayee’s tenure, the NDA was a multi-party alliance. At the moment, it does not have more than three or four allies.
At the moment, Advaniji is chairman of the NDA and Sharad Yadav is the coordinator. This is the right time to expand the NDA and with these two highly capable and experienced leaders at the helm, steps are being taken. I am just trying to stick to my brief.
Do you believe Nitin Gadkari’s ouster as BJP president on charges of corruption will harm the party’s prospects?
You may have noticed that despite the issue being in the news for over a month, not a single charge, prima facie, has been framed against him. A charge means nothing unless there is prima facie evidence of wrong doing; only then should a person quit. Gadkariji was a very sad man and he decided to put in his papers.
How will you tackle the shortcomings evident during Gadkari’s tenure?
He did a very fine job as head of the party and I believe that not everything can be done by the party president. Everyone has to work together.
Rahul Gandhi’s coronation as the Congress vice-president coincides with your elevation as the BJP president. Do you see it as Rahul vs Rajnath instead of Rahul vs Narendra Modi?
I have the responsibility of running the organisation and I would like to limit myself to that brief. My brief is the 2014 General Elections and I have my focus on that instead of other factors.
In Rahul Gandhi’s scheme of things, the Congress is laying special emphasis on youth and young leaders are getting a lot of opportunities. What about you?
I can tell you confidently that the number of young leaders in the BJP far outstrip the Congress. Young Congress leaders come from big political or business families so they become high profile. But in the BJP, our youth leaders belong to middle class families who have come through sheer hard work but are often ignored. I would request my friends in the media not to overlook BJP youth leaders who come from small towns. They will show results in 2014.
During your last tenure as the BJP president in 2008, the party came to power in Karnataka, a first in south India. Today with the Yeddyurappa revolt, the BJP lies in tatters.
When trouble in the party started in Karnataka, everyone predicted the beginning of the BJP’s end. But with the projection of Jagdish Shettar as leader, the BJP’s graph is going up again.
As the new BJP president, what are the biggest challenges that confront you?
My emphasis is on cleaning politics. Whether it is a party leader or a worker, actions have to match words. One of the main reasons why politicians are being discredited is what they say in public does not match up to what they do in private. That is the biggest crisis facing political parties and it is by no means confined to the BJP. We will try to gain the confidence of the people by our words and actions and I am sure it will work.
The 2014 General Elections are crucial to the BJP. Do you have a road map ahead?
People often talk about road maps but I believe that if every district and village has committed party cadres, no force can stop a political party from winning elections. Money power is not enough.
Will Narendra Modi lead the BJP in the 2014 General Elections?
The BJP tradition is that any decision on the prime ministerial candidate is the prerogative of the party’s Central Parliamentary Board (CPB). They select a candidate taking everyone into confidence.
What would be LK Advani’s role?
The inspiration and guidance of senior leaders will certainly be there.
The BJP will not be able to get a majority in 2014 because of the influence of regional parties, who may be able to cobble up numbers of their own to set up a Third Front or third alternative.
Our aim is to get a majority on our own. But it may not happen. This is the age of alliance politics. The BJP will then head a coalition of parties to form a government. Many political parties will join us.
In Atal Behari Vajpayee’s tenure, the NDA was a multi-party alliance. At the moment, it does not have more than three or four allies.
At the moment, Advaniji is chairman of the NDA and Sharad Yadav is the coordinator. This is the right time to expand the NDA and with these two highly capable and experienced leaders at the helm, steps are being taken. I am just trying to stick to my brief.
Do you believe Nitin Gadkari’s ouster as BJP president on charges of corruption will harm the party’s prospects?
You may have noticed that despite the issue being in the news for over a month, not a single charge, prima facie, has been framed against him. A charge means nothing unless there is prima facie evidence of wrong doing; only then should a person quit. Gadkariji was a very sad man and he decided to put in his papers.
How will you tackle the shortcomings evident during Gadkari’s tenure?
He did a very fine job as head of the party and I believe that not everything can be done by the party president. Everyone has to work together.
Rahul Gandhi’s coronation as the Congress vice-president coincides with your elevation as the BJP president. Do you see it as Rahul vs Rajnath instead of Rahul vs Narendra Modi?
I have the responsibility of running the organisation and I would like to limit myself to that brief. My brief is the 2014 General Elections and I have my focus on that instead of other factors.
In Rahul Gandhi’s scheme of things, the Congress is laying special emphasis on youth and young leaders are getting a lot of opportunities. What about you?
I can tell you confidently that the number of young leaders in the BJP far outstrip the Congress. Young Congress leaders come from big political or business families so they become high profile. But in the BJP, our youth leaders belong to middle class families who have come through sheer hard work but are often ignored. I would request my friends in the media not to overlook BJP youth leaders who come from small towns. They will show results in 2014.
During your last tenure as the BJP president in 2008, the party came to power in Karnataka, a first in south India. Today with the Yeddyurappa revolt, the BJP lies in tatters.
When trouble in the party started in Karnataka, everyone predicted the beginning of the BJP’s end. But with the projection of Jagdish Shettar as leader, the BJP’s graph is going up again.
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