The following is a comment I made on journalist Kanchan Gupta's blog. He has removed this comment claiming its vituperative and uses intemperate language.
BJP supporters and those who follow current affairs closely may associate development with Modi. But others, thats about 80% of the country, sees him only as a mass murderer. How BJP supporters view Modi is immaterial. Rest of the country neither has the patience nor the necessity to forgive Modi.
BJP is not Modi's private property. We should only think whats good for BJP and the country. What happens to Modi is his problem.
Why can't Modi stay in Gujarat and deliver some 20 seats to the BJP which he has never been able to do? To borrow his own rhetoric, why is he batting at 65% strike rate against a weak Congress in Gujarat when Raman Singh is batting at 95% strike rate against the might of Ajit Jogi and the Shuklas.
And say, why can't he become party president and let someone else become PM candidate in 2014. I concede that Modi excites party workers. So why can't he do stuff that suits him instead of chasing voters away in a poll.
Instead of delivering in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa, he went on a ego-boasting, [2014 pre-cursor?] whirlwind tour of the country. And is now plotting [with help from Swapanda etc] to divert any criticism of him in the party. Hardly the sign of a leader.
In 1996, Advani, despite being the champion of the Ayodhya movement, realised that no Indian in his right mind will vote for BJP with Advani as the PM candidate. Hence he whole heartedly backed Atalji. Why can't Modi emulate Advani?
The national BJP and the Sangh have done so much for Modi. Taking him from a lowly clerical job in the party office to making him CM, forgave his murders at great image loss to the party and allowed him to destroy the careers of several Gujarat leaders. But what has Modi given back to the party?
Besides what are the contributions of Gujarat BJP to the national party? Apart from perhaps money, where is the human resource from Gujarat? The only notable leader from Gujarat is Amit Thaker who hardly seems to be doing anything. Even Prodyut Bora, a cell convener has done a lot compared to a morcha head!
Aside: You may also wanna read what I wrote about Modi in October 2007 here. I see my position has changed a bit. Thats the lesson I have learnt from the 2009 elections.
11 comments:
But others, thats about 80% of the country, sees him only as a mass murderer-Really. How do you know? Any surveys, any polls (howsoever unsicientific they may be) which back your statement. If someone doesnt vote for BJP doesnt mean they consider Modi to be a mass murderer. They didnt vote for BJP even before Modi arrived on the scene.
well, I have no surveys to quote. I have some anecdotal evidence from while campaigning for the BJP in the last elections. Not sure that counts.
Besides any analysis of voting patterns will reveal that urban middle class has consistently moved away from BJP since the Gujarat riots.
And people in non-BJP states along the east coast have had a very negative opinion of BJP precisely becos of its anti-Muslim stance. Modi only reinforces their opinion. Muslims (about 13%) I'm sure will never forget Gujarat.
The media is by and large convinced that Modi is a mass murderer. nope its not just english ELM, vernacular print too. Claiming everyone in the media is wrong seems like a juvenile argument. At any rate, most Indians perhaps don't care or don't want to verify what media says and hence perhaps believe the media to some extent.
So I suspect, my ball park figure of Modi's rating as a mass murderer may not be too off the mark.
you seem to use a lot of words which sound specific and you then backtrack on it. first is 80% obviously from BJP's vote share, second ONLY as a mass murderer (no evidence for it except media opinion about Modi).
Now again you have said "And people in non-BJP states along the east coast have had a very negative opinion of BJP PRECISELY becos of its anti-Muslim stance" I am sure there is no eveidence for it. BJP not doing well on the eastern coast has to do with lack of organisational strength. An organisation takes years to build in a large country like India. Congress had the advantage of a ready made structure and its association in the inds of people with the freedom movement.
Everyone in the media can be wrong. Almost the entire media except a few honourable exceptions have been votaries of socialism, didnt oppose emergency, against removal of Art 370 and they are wrong on each count. So just because there is a consensus in the media doesnt mean Modi becomes a mass murderer.
On the other hand I agree with you that Modi may not be an ideal PM candidate (just as Advani wasnt in 1996). While he may enthuse the cadres the election may become a pro-anti Modi election in a number of places which may not be ideal from the BJP point of view. In that sense Sushma does seem like a good candidate (good orator, non-controversial, good parliamentarian) as she can get an incremental positive vote without attracting any negative votes. however for that to happen she wopuld have to be accepted by the party cadre. The only way that can happen is if Modi supports her publicly just as Advani did to Vajpayee in 1995.
there is no evidence that people in east coast hate BJP becos of its anti-muslim stance? hmm ...
anyway, glad that we both feel Modi shud support Sushma for PM.
Seek Balagi!!! get your check up done dude!
Balaji,
I got linked to your post thru Swapan Da's. Not so sure if you support BJP or hate it. Your post only leaves me confused
well, I support BJP to the extent that I'm trying [silly I know] to rescue it from the Fascists (ala Hindutva crowd) and hand it over to the Integral Humanists.
"forgave his murders at great image loss to the party and allowed him to destroy the careers of several Gujarat leaders. But what has Modi given back to the party?"
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What do u mean by HIS murders ? Who were the murders ? It's the BJP workers, ppl affiliated to Sangh and common public then how can he alone be responsible for this natural, uncontrollable anger in the form of riots ? There r uncountable riots, genocides have taken place in the history of free, democratic India but no CM was ever blamed then why blame him ? And don't tell us what 80% ppl think. U r not the ONLY person who knows ppl perception. We also live in this country, interacts with people, so we also know public mood. And to ur surprise our support for Modi is also based on public support. Mr. Modi has not bribed or hypnotized us to support him madly. Go and take ur gibberish elsewhere. Ur juvenile understanding of politics isn't needed. It's laughable if u think by kicking Modi out of the party BJP will get support of middle class back. Middle class has shunned BJP for different reasons. Will discuss that some other day. But supposing if ur and Balaji's demand r fulfilled and he has been thrown out of the party then r both of ready to guaranty win of BJP ? Let's see what Sushma and other BJP leaders r capable of. Let's see public support for them. Understand one thing, rejecting a popular neta amounts to signing ur political obituary.
i resigned from the Karnataka BJP IT cell, on the day Modi forced Jaswant Singh out of the party and banned his book. see my post here.
during the Lok Sabha elecions, i campaigned 12 days for the BJP in 6 constituencies in 2 states. infact i organized people to go campaign in Hosur and South Chennai. i also donated money.
i'm a conservative who runs http://rightnews.in
even these days, I'm actively campaigning to enhance community participation in Bangalore's municipal elections. see here.
if BJP can afford to lose supporters like me, then I have nothing to say.
"if BJP can afford to lose supporters like me, then I have nothing to say."
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Balaji, it's better to have enemies like Vir Sanghvis than to have so called "supporter" like u. Coward, always wants to dance on the tunes of Leftists.
someone who comments anonymously calls me a 'coward'. funny!
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