NEW DELHI: Upon learning that his name was being considered for a top post in a political party, a leader with a strong base in a Western state became anxious. He was reluctant to move to Delhi, fearing his influence would be diminished and he would become a mere figurehead like the current officeholder. Apart from that he also doesn’t want to be involved in the internal tussle that is happening between senior leaders which, as per his analysis, will become bigger in the coming days.
To remove himself from contention, he leveraged his connections with senior local journalists. The journalists published reports claiming that the leader was set to be appointed to the top post.
The leader’s strategy behind this is two-fold.
He is hoping that once the news of a pending appointment is leaked and becomes public, the party’s higher-ups would likely be offended, as has been the trend, and will seek an alternative candidate.
Secondly, he believes that the publication of the news will stir his internal critics, who would now actively work to ensure he would not get the position, unaware that the leader himself was aiming to avoid it.
Through this manoeuvre, the leader hopes to stay in his current position without the risk of being in a diminished position in Delhi.