BJP’s new ‘Boss’, Nitin Nabin

By referring to the newly elected BJP president, Nitin Nabin as his “Boss”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a clear message down the line, cautioning one and all in his party, not to do anything to undermine the position of the new leader.

There is no doubt that Narendra Modi himself is the supreme leader in the Sangh Parivar, but if he has described Nitin Nabin as his “Chief”, it is specifically to convey to the organization that it should accept this change and comply with the orders of the youngest BJP president in history.

The appointment that had surprised many, has come at a time when multiple names had been doing the rounds for the post of the party president for almost a year. Now that the formal handing over and taking over have been completed, the BJP has a new order in place.

There has been speculation that Nabin’s elevation as the party chief at a young age denotes a generational shift in the BJP. Some of the Chief Ministers such as Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, Nayab Singh Saini in Haryana, Rekha Gupta in Delhi, Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam and Devendra Fadnavis are all in their 50s, and much younger than many of their predecessors at the time of their takeover.

It is evident that the BJP’s central leadership and the Sangh Parivar, have realized the importance of involving the younger lot in the decision making process, keeping in mind the fact that the majority of India’s population is under 40 years old. India is, in that sense, a young country and thus requires younger people to lead it.

It is in this context that there is also speculation whether the BJP may have this change reflected in the state leaderships as well as the Parliamentary Board, the highest decision-making body of the party. It may be recalled that in 2014, after Modi was elevated as the Prime Minister, the party made drastic changes in the Parliamentary Board and leaders such as the founders—Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi—were sent to the Margdarshak Mandal. The decision did cause some bitterness but was implemented without any hassles, even though it amounted to be the end of the political career of top BJP stalwarts.

The possibility which is being spoken about in the party circles is that the Parliamentary Board may have members who are all below the age of 65 with the sole exception of the Prime Minister. If that has to happen, it effectively would mean that some fresh faces may replace a few veterans. The point is that the BJP is constantly thinking on its feet and is not shy of taking uncomfortable decisions.

Of course, there is politics in the entire exercise, but why should anyone be surprised? Such bold decisions are taken after much consideration and weighing both the pros and cons of every action. If the age of the Parliamentary Board members is brought down, it would serve some purpose or the purpose of some people who would be benefited in the long run.

There is sufficient evidence to suggest that internal powerplay within the Sangh has already commenced. It may not be visible to most followers, but the positioning has started unfolding.

Many years ago, after the NDA lost power to the UPA in 2004, during the course of a conversation, the late Pramod Mahajan had observed that in the 2009 Parliamentary polls, L.K. Advani would be the BJP’s projected PM face. However, for the 2014 elections, he had imagined in his mind that he would be a claimant, and he would be competing for the position with the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Mahajan died soon afterwards, after being shot by his brother, but his prophesy of Modi being the BJP face came true.

In the present context, it is commonly believed that Home Minister Amit Shah, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, are leaders, whose full potential has yet to be realized in larger roles. Who knows, if either of them or somebody completely unexpected may emerge at an appropriate time.

There are political analysts who are of the view that the feud between Yogi Adityanath and Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand could have consequences which may have bearing on the future of the BJP in the state. The party is playing down the matter but it can erupt on the national centre-stage, if the Shankaracharyas come together and take on the UP CM. The RSS and the top leadership of the party must intervene in order to prevent a major crisis subsequently.

Nitin Nabin is now at the helm of affairs and has to tread his path very carefully. He has multiple challenges ahead, the Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala elections to begin with. He has the support of the Prime Minister, who is the party’s electoral pivot, but he has to carve out his own position with his own achievements. Between us.