Commentary/Rajiv Shukla

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat should be the next BJP president

The Bharatiya Janata Party leadership has done the right thing by deciding to support Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in this, his hour of need.

At the moment, Shekhawat's ministry is precariously poised with 13 legislators having turned rebels, with every possibility of this number swelling in the days to come. Besides having to battle the enemy within, the Shekhawat government is also having to combat the United Front government's efforts to destabilise it. So, at this critical juncture, the BJP leadership ought to back the chief minister and deal firmly with the dissidents.

But once Bhairon Singh Shekhawat manages to recapture the required strength in the assembly and restore order in Rajasthan, he must move towards the national arena. Ideally, once this mess is sorted out, Shekhawat should appoint a party leader of his choice as chief minister of Rajasthan and bid farewell to state politics.

The reason for this is simple: Shekhawat, I feel, is the right man to succeed L K Advani as BJP president. Advani's term ends this November and, already, there is intense speculation over who will lead the party into the next year.

Two former presidents, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Murli Manohar Joshi, do not seem to be particularly interested in a second term. Vajpayee is, of course, the party's prime ministerial candidate. So, the list of contenders for the top job, besides Shekhawat, includes Kalyan Singh, Sunder Singh Bhandari, Kushabhau Thakre and Bangaru Laxman.

While Bhandari, Thakre and Laxman are all competent party leaders, none of them enjoys any mass support. Kalyan Singh does have a following in his home state but there is every indication that he would rather be chief minister of UP than BJP president.

So, that leaves Shekhawat. Currently into his third stint as Rajasthan chief minister, he is respected by political colleagues and rivals alike. His long stint in Rajasthan has made him indispensable to the BJP's scheme of things in its northern stronghold. But now it is time for him to move on.

In the next few months, Shekhawat should get his house in order, nominate a non-rajput leader, preferably a bania or a jat, as chief minister of Rajasthan, and himself move towards the bigger stage awaiting him. Shekhawat will prove a vital vote-catcher in north India as he enjoys tremendous support among the rajput community.

And the senior BJP leader's political acumen cannot be doubted. He has earned himself the reputation of being a shrewd political operator, who can be entrusted with the responsibility of leading his partymen and dealing with rival political leaders.

Thus, once the party leadership manages to resolve the Rajasthan crisis, it should take immediate steps to pave the way for Shekhawat's march towards national politics. The BJP must take full advantage of Shekhawat's abilities and political experience in the crucial months ahead.