Sudheendra Kulkarni: From CPM to BJP before being painted black

New Delhi: From CPM cardholder to an aide of Hindutva ideologue LK Advani, from writing a book reinventing Mahatma Gandhi in the internet age to heading the Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai, Sudheendra Kulkarni comes is an enigma to many.

An alumni of IIT-Bombay, Kulkarni has straddled across ideological divides with ease. This has led many to label him an opportunist who keeps moving to greener pastures.

However, in recent months he was mostly in the shadows since Narendra Modi became prime minister, until Shiv Sainiks blackened his face. “He switches over very fast, be it from the Left ideology to the Right or even in his association with a leader. He joined BJP in 1996 through Advani but grew close to Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the latter became prime minister and became his speech writer.

Once BJP was out of power, he came back to Advani,” a senior BJP leader said. The 58-year-old explained his CPM days as those spent in an “illusory land” and moving to BJP when realisation dawned that the Marxist ideology was “not suitable in India” or for “any corner of the world.”

Kulkarni accompanied Advani on his infamous trip to Pakistan in 2005 where the latter described Mohammad Ali Jinnah as a ‘secular leader.’

BJP leaders maintain that it was Kulkarni who suggested this to Advani as part of the plan to help the Hindutva hardliner reinvent himself. Advani had to quit as BJP chief and Kulkarni was removed as national secretary soon but the two did not break ties. When Advani set out to write his autobiography, Kulkarni was very actively involved. Before the UPA trust vote, after the Left withdrew support over the nuclear deal, Kulkarni was instrumental in conducting a sting operation to expose what was christened the ‘cash for vote’ scam.

He was jailed for two months with BJP MPs Mahavir Bhagora and Faggan Singh Kulaste in the case and during his stint in jail, Kulkarni met Maoist sympathiser Kobad Gandy, with whom he had long discussions.

Kulkarni was a regular in the BJP war-room in 2009, when Advani was NDA’s PM candidate. But after BJP lost the elections badly, Kulkarni quit the party and joined hands with TMC chief Mamta Banerjee. Kulkarni is now associated with Observer Research Foundation and writes regularly for newspapers.