Karnataka elections have brought to fore the problems that ail BJP but have been papered over by the towering presence of PM Narendra Modi ji for long. Though there have been murmurs, those murmurs used to be quietened by the ‘know all’ party leaders at all levels.

Himachal Pradesh was the biggest red flag. An unheard of rebellion in nearly 30% of the seats during election and the resulting defeat was forgotten like a bad dream. The most powerful BJP leaders survived the disaster without any mark,  laying waste the tireless efforts of Modi ji in improving the lot of Himachalis with best possible infrastructure and countless welfare schemes, promotion of tourism etc. If there was any ‘chintan’ or ‘chinta’, none could detect it.

Karnataka was brought back to BJP with some fine Machiavellian moves by Shri Yediyurappa. He also managed to get those MLAs re-elected. He needed to be feted but he was asked to move out to make way for a new leader. It is a prerogative of the party to bring in new blood and change in guard at the top. One can’t question it. But one can question the choice of an uninspiring leader who seemed listless and his cabinet clueless. There was more noise that clouded even good work of the government. If there was an overview of its performance, it didn’t translate in timely corrections by the central leadership.

BJP has learnt the art of repeating its rule that was missing earlier, with the example set in Gujarat by Modi ji. But it failed in Karnataka just as in Himachal due to arrogance, and neglect of ordinary workers and their feedback.

This election in Karnataka was marked by the most directionless and reactive campaign that BJP has ever run. Generally, in all the elections BJP is acknowledged as the party that sets the agenda. Here, the Congress set the agenda and Karnataka BJP simply reacted. Despite being aware of poor performance in governance and election campaign, for reasons unknown the central leadership did not take corrective actions. It was only the intervention of PM Modi that brought BJP back into the reckoning. “Double Engine” has become a cliché. Double engines work well only if both engines work and work in sync. 

I travel all across Bharat and meet people from all walks of life. I am witness to the rise of Bharatiya Jan Sangh, later BJP with herculean efforts of generations of selfless leaders and workers who refused to compromise on ideals of the party and kept on working with dreams of taking this nation to ‘param vaibhav’. From the jibes of “Jis diye mein tel nahin, Congress ko haraanaa khel nahin” to rising as an unchallenged numero uno of Bharat’s political landscape has been an unparalleled story that I and people like me have witnessed.

I have met many unsung workers whose eyes well up when they say, “We never imagined we will see this day” (of BJP dominance and Hindutva being the mainstream narrative of  Bharat). Many political thinkers have even penned down this story, including one-time critics who have become stars in the present set up.

Based on my interactions with the humble ground workers, local leaders, MSME industrialists and well-meaning supporters, I share a few points that can be studied and understood by the BJP leadership in the right spirit.

• Arrogance of power is natural. Leaders need to control their arrogance consciously. In a democracy, you are not here forever. Arrogance puts your workers and voters off.

• You are in government because of the party organisation, not the other way round. So, do not act like you are above the organisation. The same worker, the cadre that sent you there, can pull you down by mere indifference to you.

• Find time for your colleagues and well-wishers. Showing off your ‘busy-ness’ is a bad idea. If Modi ji can find time for people from remotest parts of Bharat and outside, surely you can make time for your cadre and well-wishers. Cadre comes first – it is forever, well-wishers are not.

• Leaders at all levels should be open to feedback and suggestions. They should be available to the worker – at any level. This is the person who has brought victory to the party, not just a leader. Don’t harass him or her.

• Find ways to solve cases brought to you by your cadre and workers. Don’t find excuses. Because the same person will get job done in your government through other means and then you will look silly.

• Be proactive, not reactive. Be a thinking leader. Modi ji is the best example. He is always a step ahead in new ideas. He can create castles out of brickbats thrown at him.

• Communication is a crucial part of your delivery. Engage or find people who can help you communicate better and let people know about your work.

• Don’t show disdain for intellectuals, specially those who are rooted to the ground. Just because you are in power today, does not make you smart and a know-all. Stop entertaining and honouring intellectuals who suddenly found ‘Hindutva’ just because they smother you with praise. Do not forget the lessons imparted by a great intellectual who placed himself with Atal ji and later Advani ji, brought them to grief and now sells snake oil.

• Bureaucrats can survive by not acting; because not taking action can save a bureaucrat’s career, but not a political leader’s career. If you are committed to social welfare, your senior leaders will support you, be sure. By not acting, you may rise to your level of inefficiency, but not to the top.

• Politics teaches you cynicism. Still, try to be straight forward and honest in dealings with some people, if not all. Most of them will turn out to be good. Don’t play politics with everyone. Some relations are above politics and they will hold you in good stead when it comes to the crunch.

• Politics is not a business or a profession. Though this sounds cliched, most new ‘leaders’ or sons and daughters of the leaders treat it as such. You will succeed better if you treat it as a service to society and nation first.

• New comers are bound to flock to a powerful party. But you cannot and should not promote them at the cost of genuine workers who have toiled for years. You are destroying the roots by hoping to see the tree flower prematurely.

• BJP has been known to plug the leaks well in time, even with surgical aggression where required. However, Rajasthan is an example where BJP should have bitten the bullet immediately after last elections. It had five years to recover from a possible rebellion. It dithered. Now ask workers in Rajasthan, they are confused even on a winning pitch. Chhattisgarh is there for the taking but BJP leadership is absent, ask local karyakartas. I can add many examples. So, BJP needs to relearn this art.

We are no one to teach lessons to the BJP leadership which has been steamrolling opposition and growing from strength to strength breaking new ground all over Bharat. It has dominated the Bharatiya political scene for nine years now with Modi ji having a popularity that surpasses any other post-independence leader’s popularity. However, there is a deep sense of complacency in the second rung leadership downwards that everything is fine. I have said it many times and will repeat myself that you can’t ride on the broad shoulders of Modi ji doing nothing. It is unfair and it is unhealthy.

Whenever people like me bring something to the notice of a leader, the common response is “You are too sensitive, Sharda ji.” People like me are sensitive because they are witness to the struggle unlike many new leaders who have joined the party when it is a success. People like us are sensitive but also cynical and a little thick-skinned because we face the most vicious verbal attacks in media and are privy to the thinking of your opposition.

Karnataka loss has come at a very opportune time when BJP has enough time to trim its sails, re-organise itself for the biggest and most ruthless assault on it. For the opposition, it is a question of life and death. Remember, this entire opposition is supported by the New Left and its cohorts in media and academia. If they succeed, it will be a question of life and death for our ancient civilisation that has survived for eons and has just started undergoing a renaissance.

2024 is a decisive war for survival of our civilisation. The Opposition knows this, I am sure BJP realizes it too.

-By Dr. Ratan Sharda (Author, Editor, Freelance Columnist, TV Panelist)