Speculation about gen elections misplaced: Vinod Sharma

Q: A lot of commentary that done the rounds since yesterday is the emergence of Narendra Modi as an independent self within the BJP and that may pose some sort of threat to the party itself internally, given the fact that they have already nominated LK Advani as the next elect in terms of a Prime Ministerial candidate. What short of role do you think that Modi’s brand of politics can actually bring to the BJP in 2008 because the momentum in the last 3 or 4 state elections clearly seems to be with the BJP?  

A: With due regards to Advani, his nomination as the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate was a trifle premature. That occasion hasn’t risen since that will come in 2009 but a year plus is too long a period in politics and one doesn’t know what is going to happen in the interregnum. In politics, what's important is de facto status and I think Modi today has acquired that de facto status of the party’s number one leader. Now what is in question is his acceptability in the era of coalition. He will have to make himself more acceptable and perhaps has ti dilute the ‘Hindutva’ element in his electoral planks and his entire policy planning in order to be able to be more acceptable at the national level.    

Q: What about reforms specifically because that’s been an area on which he fought a lot of the elections, at least the initial part of it. Do you think that is something that he could campaign on going ahead and will this brand of politics that emerged with the BJP in Gujarat be replicated in other states like Rajasthan or even in South India like a Karnataka or this is something just specific to Gujarat?

A: Conditions vary from state-to-state. Gujarat is a very urbanized state and has high level of literacy even amongst the minorities and Gujaratis are known for their business enterprise. So the conditions may not be available to the BJP in MP, which predominately has got the highest population of tribes. Similarly, Rajasthan has got many districts, which are very backward, and I don’t think these comparisons are going to be very genuine and very realistic but BJP can try and Modi himself has to make this model of economic development more acceptable and inclusive in Gujarat. The fact remains that a lot needs to be done in Gujarat as well by way of greater acceptability of the BJP especially in central Gujarat, which is a huge area.