While welcoming the election of Jagat Prakash Nadda as the National President of Bharatiya Janata Party, it must act as a lesson for other political parties as far as inner party democracy is concerned stated Brig Anil Gupta, Spokesperson of the Party. “It is a lesson in inner party democracy for Maa-Beta (Mother-Son), Maa-Beti (Mother-Daughter), Chacha-Bhatija (Uncle-Nephew), Bua-Bhatija (Aunt-Nephew) parties in our country. While the top position in these parties is reserved for the dynasts, BJP on the other hand provides space for growth to even a booth level worker. Election of Naddaji is a classic example of the same because it is not for the first or the only time happening in BJP but is a tradition of the party.” Noting that Nadda has assumed the party’s stewardship at a very crucial juncture, Brig Gupta wished him success and hoped that party would scale greater heights during his tenure because of his proven excellent organisational skills.
While it is quite normal for the regional parties to be family owned due to their limited scope and reach but for a national party to be controlled by one particular family only is reflective either of the trust deficit or leadership deficit within the party. Taking a dig at the Congress, Brig Gupta said, “Sonia Gandhi has been Congress President since 1998 except for a brief stint of two years in between when her son Rahul Gandhi was crowned after an organisational election that was held after repeated warnings by the Election Commission of India because it did not hold elections for decades together. On the other hand in BJP, Naddaji is the 11th President since 1998.” Whatever propaganda Congress may carry out to alienate the people from BJP, one thing is clear that Congress is neither secular nor democratic. It is a pure dynastic party. Incidentally, Gandhi is a fake surname since the family has no linkage to Mahatma Gandhi, rued Brig Gupta.
Political parties are evolved democratic institutions and are not just ‘election contesting machines.’ While the BJP in keeping with its guiding mantra, “Nation First, Party Next, Self-Last”, contests elections to serve the nation and the people, unfortunately Congress contests elections to rule as is evident from how it formed Government in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. “Congress today suffers from crisis of Purpose and lacks an ideology. It has become safe haven for Modi-baiters whose sole purpose is ‘Modi Hatao.’ From lofty ideals of socialism, secularism and democracy, Congress ideology has been relegated to ‘Compromise.’ In absence of an ideology there is no rallying point for the cadre leading to party’s disintegration at grass roots level,” asserted Brig Gupta.
For democracy to grow and survive, the political parties need to take a lesson from BJP and take measures to transform from dynasty-dependent to organisation-centric, stated Brig Gupta.