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Advani's clout will elude new BJP chief

Kushabhau Thakre, 76, has replaced L K Advani as president of the Bharatiya Janata Party. But considering the lack of enthusiastic support from the party leadership, as evident from their absence at his appointment, he is unlikely to wield the clout Advani did.

Thakre garlanded a picture of B R Ambedkar after his election was announced.

"I'm certain I won't have to bear this load alone. In the BJP, we believe in collective leadership." This is taken as an indication that he would wield less clout than both Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani, his mentor.

He was to have replaced Advani in November itself but the BJP leadership wanted a known face and tested leader to lead the party through the elections. This way Thakre had more time to build up an image.

Thakre said the party would not indulge in back-seat driving, telling the government how it ought to function. But he felt it was the party's duty to give the government feedback on the implementation of its programmes.

He rejected suggestions that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh would direct the actions of the BJP.

The party leadership was conspicuously absent when his election was announced. The only senior leader of note to attend was Mahila Morcha leader Mridula Sinha and her followers. Party general secretary K N Govindacharya was in his room at the party headquarters but was not present when Thakre's appointment was announced. Vajpayee and his political advisor Pramod Mahajan were in Assam.

Thakre, who started off as a RSS pracharak in 1942, was a founder-member of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh which later became the BJP. He was general secretary (organisation) when he was picked for the current post.

A Dalit leader, Sangh Priya Gautam, currently a national secretary, is expected to fill the slot of general secretary. Narendra Modi and Sumitra Mahajan are expected to become general secretaries along with Govindacharya and M Venkaiah Naidu.

Gautam was picked essentially to increase the representation of Dalits in the party while Modi is being rewarded for improving the party's performance in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar is likely to be appointed a party vice-president.

In deference to the one-man-one-post norm, no minister will be made a party office-bearer.

Thakre has the job of pacifying the RSS, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal which are pushing for the construction of Ram temple at Ayodha at a time the BJP is diluting its hardline views, toeing the line drawn by its coalition partners.

He will have to keep the BJP looking clean at a time it has deals going with scam-tainted Sukh Ram and Jayalalitha. Sedapatti Muthiah has already resined as Union surface transport minister after charges were filed against him in a corruption case in Madras.

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