Weeding out indiscipline priority, says BJP chief

NEW DELHI: BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday admitted that “indiscipline” was the biggest problem confronting the party, and said that it’d be his priority to restore a semblance of order in the party.
“Indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost. If there are any shortcomings, we’ll try to remove them. We’ll take this up on a priority basis,” Mr Gadkari said while addressing his first press conference after taking over the reins of the party.

For the 52-year-old leader, who on December 19 became the youngest president of BJP, it was literally a baptism by fire. He got a taste of the bitter infighting that has become a hall-mark of the party at all levels, when factional leaders of the Rajasthan unit approached him on Wednesday to intervene of their behalf. While the camp led by former chief minister Vasundhara Raje wanted him to defer the state presidential election slated for Thursday, the pro-RSS group wanted the organizational poll itinerary to be followed in earnest.

After a marathon meeting lasting some seven hours, in which Mr Gadkari was assisted by his senior colleagues such as Venkaiah Naidu, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar, a peace formula was hammered late in the night.
The presidential election in the state has now been deferred till the panchayat polls and, in the interregnum, a core group comprising, among others, Rajasthan BJP chief Arun Chaturvedi and Ms Raje was formed to take crucial decisions.

Mr Gadkari, while speaking to newspersons here on Thursday, cited the outcome of Rajasthan firefighting mission to ram in the point that there was no pressure on him, and that he was his own man.
Mr Gadkari, during the course of his inaugural round of interaction with the media, deftly fended off a host of questions, ranging from the role of the RSS to the future of the NDA. He fielded the questions hurled at him confidently, mixing ideological rhetoric with pragmatism.

“I want to strengthen the BJP’s organisational set-up in the next three years. We have to expand our vote-base, and take our activities to areas left untouched till now. We want to reach out to the SCs, STs, unorganized sector labourers and the minorities to remove their misgivings,” he said.

Maintaining that BJP was the only alternative to Congress, Mr Gadkari said he had prepared a roadmap to strengthen the party’s organizational base. Important ingredients of this blueprint were “collective team spirit” and “mutual trust” — two factors which had gone completely missing in the last four years, rendering the party weak and vulnerable. “Mutual trust is there, but I want to enhance its level,” he said.

The BJP president, during the course of his interaction, made a concerted attempt to underplay the party’s ideological bearings, harping instead on development and his vision to rebuild the party apparatus. “I have always maintained that politics is merely an instrument to bring about socio-economic reforms. Service, development and good governance should be the priority. We can use the political system to benefit everyone, regardless of their caste, creed, religious or linguistic background,” Mr Gadkari argued.

While one of his challenges was to strengthen BJP, he also spoke about consolidating the alliance led by it, the NDA. “I plan to invite leaders of our alliance partners over lunch to discuss ways to strengthen the group,” he said.

Mr Gadkari, in his remarks, spoke about building a new culture. “I detest the politics of sycophancy. I despise the culture of touching feet, and would strive to eliminate it. I touch the feet of only those leaders whom I genuinely respect. I have also told my party colleagues not to approach me with flower bouquets, and instead donate the money to the party,” he said with remarkable candour.

Taking the point further, Mr Gadkari said that all appointments within the party during his tenure would be based purely on merit. “I want to reward politics of performance. I’ll appoint only those leaders as officebearers who are willing to work,” the new BJP president said, adding: “I have asked Ram Lal, general secretary in-charge of organisation, to speak to state presidents to forward a list of probables. Complete decentralisation and distribution of power will be followed.”

Mr Gadkari also responded with dexterity questions about him superseding several of his senior colleagues, and whether he’d have problems working with them. “I have no hesitation in saying that I am junior to several leaders. All of them are behind me, and I have their best wishes,” he said, adding: “It can happen only in BJP that a man who used to stick posters could go on to occupy the post of the president.”

Mr Gadkari also touched upon the sensitive topic of the BJP’s relations with the RSS, and whether the latter was micromanaging its affairs. “The RSS does not interfere in our working, nor does it give directions. If necessary, we discuss issues with them,” he said.