Sunil Gatade | Gadkari’s letter to Sitharaman on GST: Sign of turmoil in BJP?

In normal times, the demand would not have assumed much traction than what a senior minister is pitching for the greater good.

But these are not normal times. Especially for the BJP, which has witnessed more than unease since Narendra Modi failed to secure a majority in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He has become Prime Minister for the third time, but now as the head of a coalition government.

After June 4, the RSS, which has been lying dormant for the past decade, has suddenly come to life and has started telling one or two things on the issue of governance as well as how arrogance is counter-productive in public life. The Organiser and the Panchjanya too are doing their jobs, occasionally. The Modi chariot no longer flies in the air.
The crisis in the Uttar Pradesh BJP is testing the patience and leadership of Mr Modi. Yogi Adityanath is undeterred by the attacks of detractors, including deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, and has made it known that he is there to stay, come what may. The Hindutva poster boy sees himself in a larger role when he feels that the chips are down for the PM. Mr Maurya and other Yogi detractors are seen to be supporters of Union home minister Amit Shah.

So, there is more to the letter than meets the eye. In plain terms, Mr Gadkari, a former BJP president, is signalling that the model that only the Supreme Leader and his sidekick know everything needs to change. The sooner the better. “All are equal, but some are more equal” will not do in the changed circumstances. If one sees the letter in the context of the state of affairs in the BJP, it is nothing short of a revolution.

But Mr Gadkari is neither a revolutionary nor a “Jagjivan Ram”. He is seeking to make himself relevant in the changing times as the churning has begun. He is known as one of the most competent ministers in the Modi government for the past ten years and one who handles his job independently. His letter is in a way pitching for a fair deal to the middle class, which has for long been the backbone of the BJP, especially in the urban areas.
It is common knowledge in political circles that Nirmala Sitharaman was given the key finance ministry so that it could be run by the top two without any hindrance. The “Gujarat Model” had ensured in the home turf of the PM that ministers do not count much and now the CM too.

Mr Modi and Mr Shah have done everything to marginalise leaders like Mr Gadkari in the past decade which saw the rise of the “yes men” culture at all levels so that the “leader knows best” principle is followed in letter and spirit.

A week, they say, is a long time in politics. Here, even two months after the BJP’s less-than-good show in the Lok Sabha polls, there is not the slightest hint of any change in the style of functioning of the PM. Even though the Opposition has expressed readiness to work with the government for a better deal to the people, the PM is trying to show that he is fully in command, like in the past decade. Rahul Gandhi’s charge that he will soon be raided by the ED shows the government’s insecurity, not of the Opposition leader.
The impression that Budget 2024-25 has given Andhra Pradesh and Bihar more benefits because they are ruled by BJP allies TDP and JD-U is going to haunt Mr Modi for quite some time. The Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Delhi are not far off.

The proceedings in Parliament show how much the government is under pressure. With the Opposition INDIA grouping just a few seats short of the BJP’s 240 in the Lok Sabha, Mr Modi’s strategy of managing affairs through the presiding officers is not working.
Mr Modi’s failure to finalise a new BJP president to replace J.P. Nadda, whose term has expired long back, is indicative of the churning going on in the ruling party. This is especially so due to changed circumstances in which the RSS is going to have a say on the new man. It is ironic that amidst the voting in the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Nadda had declared that the BJP no longer needs any help from the RSS in managing its affairs.

The name of Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis figures prominently among the possible candidates to replace Mr Nadda. If it happens, it will be a big setback for Mr Gadkari as he is not on the best of terms with Mr Fadnavis, despite hailing from the same city, Nagpur.

Mr Fadnavis is considered one of the BJP leaders close to the RSS and he has clarified after much time that he was not leaving Maharashtra.

So, Mr Gadkari’s letter meant even to tell the RSS that it was high time it took stock of the organisation's work and guided sagely in appointing the next BJP chief for a brighter future. If the Opposition gets the upper hand, the worst sufferer will be the Sangh: that seems to have been the unwritten message.