HVK Archives: Task during poll campaign
Task during poll campaign - BJP Today
Kushabhau Thakre
()
January 1-15, 1998
Title: Task during poll campaign
Author: Kushabhau Thakre
Publication: BJP Today
Date: January 1-15, 1998
This past fortnight has witnessed hectic political activity and
several changes in the political scenario. These changes are
neither surprising nor unexpected. But the speed at which they
have occurred is amazing.
We knew from the beginning that the Congress backed UF Government
would not last. Parties that fought against each other during the
1996 poll, came together after the poll with the sole purpose of
preventing the BJP from retaining power at the Centre. That was
not all. The parties that formed the so-called United Front had a
common factor-each one of them had contested the election from an
anti-Congress platform. Yet, such was their craving for power,
they took the help of the Congress.
Such, an arrangement had to collapse. And it collapsed in a
manner that has fetched ridicule to both the UF and the Congress.
Sterile anti-BJPism did not prove strong enough to keep the UF
and the Congress together.
I wish that instead of, merely opposing the BJP, our adversaries
had bothered to find out the secret of our success. To malign
the BJP, they took resort to lies and abuse. They accused us of
being anti-minority; they accused us of being communal. Their
purpose was two-fold-first, to malign the BJP; and, second, to
mislead the minority communities. Our adversaries repeated these
lies so often that they themselves began believing them. In the
process, they became blind to the reality and ignored the
increasing popularity of the BJP. Today, minorities have seen
through the lies of the Congress, the Janata Dal, the Samajwadi
Party and the Leftists, especially the Marxists. And having seen
through the anti-BJP campaign of lies, they have begun moving
towards us at a remarkable speed. Similarly, other sections of
Indian society, who had so far been misled by our adversaries,
have also started moving closer to us.
Given these facts, we can safely predict that the next Government
at the Centre will be led by the BJP. There can be no second
opinion on this. Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee shall be the Prime
Minister at the head of this Government. The BJP's choice for
the Prime Minister's job has given a boost to the party's image
and increased our popularity.
The fall of the Congress-backed UF Government was predictable.
Its demise did not come as a surprise. Nor was it unexpected.
What, however, is amazing is the collapse of the Congress.
The Congress was a big party. It has behind it India's glorious
struggle for independence, a struggle in which it played a
leading role. Barring a few years, it has ruled the country for
the past 50 years.
Yet the same Congress today lies in a shambles. It has only
itself to blame for this. The actions of the Congress to somehow
manoeuvre itself into power, has caused enormous damage to the
party. The UF, too, has suffered on this account-its politics of
opportunism and manipulation has affected the constituent
parties. Given the economic situation, the mid-term poll has come
as another burden on the people. This has also set the masses
against the Congress-as also the UF. The past misdeeds of the
Congress have further contributed to the people's, as well as the
workers'. disenchantment with the party. The resultant
fragmentation of these parties, especially the speed at which
they are disintegrating, cannot but amaze any political observer.
It is also satisfying to see our adversaries collapse like this.
There is a more serious side to the political happenings of these
past 18 months. The UF, backed by the Congress, has singularly
failed in all areas of governance. Be it economics, politics or
society, the failure is all-round and complete. The nation's
security as well as the citizen's security have been imperilled.
The common people are looking for a respite from back-breaking
prices. Forming a Government or pulling down a Government are
matters of serious politics. But the Congress and the UF have
trivialised this political process: they are incapable of
appreciating the true dimensions of the democratic process. Hence
their frivolity which has resulted in political instability.
A direct fallout of all this is that today people are looking
forward to stability in governance. In the coming election
stability will be a dominant issue. The BJP, in sharp contrast to
the other parties, represents stability. In addition, we also
have ability. People are convinced that Shri Vajpayee's
Government will be a stable Government and an able Government.
People are looking up to us for deliverance. They see the BJP as
a party that can take India out of its present morass. While it
is easy to form a Government in the present circumstances, it
will not be an easy task to solve the problems staring India in
the face. To solve these problems, tough decisions will have to
be taken. Our Government will be able to take these decisions and
implement them with determination only when the decision-makers
are convinced that the entire party organisation is with them.
Our workers will have to see things in totality and in their
entirety. Often workers limit their concerns to those of their
district or area. As a result, his vision gets limited. Our
workers must see issues in the national perspective.
In a democracy, individual aspirations are very strong:
individuals tend to lay greater stress on their own problems.
They demand that their problems should be solved first. We must
encourage people to think about the country rather than
themselves.
We have to win this election and form the next Government. But
after forming the Government, we will have to fulfil people's
expectations. More importantly, we will have to put our country's
affairs back on the rails. During the campaign, our workers
should make it a point to reach out to the largest number of
voters and assure them that the BJP will try to solve their
problems. At the same time, we should educate them about the
national problems.
Commenting on elections, somebody once quipped: 'Educate your
master." He who is educated can educate others. Our workers have
to be aware of the issues that are relevant today.
This is a challenge before us. After all, we are not only
promising a stable Government, but also an able Government, a
good Government.
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