Are Organization Elections Strengthening the Party ?

[praveenshankarkapoor]

APPEAL TO BJP LEADERSHIP - PLEASE SUSPEND THE ONGOING ORGANIZATION ELECTION & DEVELOP A HEALTHY ORGANIZATION. Make Strong MANDAL PRESIDENTS, istead.

Dear All,

Namaskar. We the BJP family have lost some more elections although I, for one, never expected any miracles to happen. In fact, if you may recall my letter posted on 19th October, I had analyzed many a reasons why BJP lies in shambles today. I just wish to add two things to it today itself because tomorrow may be too late. Perhaps this could be last from me on this issue.

Before I start - I wish to emphasize - Our Decline Starts The Day We Start Ignoring Facts or Refuse To Hear Suggestions.

Elections to State Assemblies are over and how we fought them is quite well known, the results are there, speaking volumes of our work & rapport amongst people. Please lets not fool ourselves by saying Raj Thackery damaged us. Raj Saheb was always a vocal member of alliance till a couple of years ago and its so strange a Party that has 826 M.L.A's country wide can not assess what alliance works & we as a political party closed all doors with Raj Thackery. We so strongly oppose Pariwarwaad but we fall prey to a Pariwar Feud.

In Haryana strangely we allied with none and see where are we today.

On the contrary we must recall in 2009 Lok Sabha election a right timed alliance in Assam we performed so well that we won Guwhati where if you all may recall Hon'ble Prime Minister is a voter. A right alliance failed the Prime Minister's vote.

Yet every thing apart I wish to congratulate Mr. Gopi Nath Munde, Mr. Nitin Gadkari for saving grace for BJP whatever way they could for a party that is currently rudderless. I have closely seen politics since 1979, I may not be a very big player yet for last 3 years I have analyzed things quite rightly and understand Gopi Nath ji & Nitin ji were working in extremely suffocating condition and need to be appreciated.

Now let us move to my second issue for the day.

Friends, with in a party that has been repeatedly loosing elections, one another election is going on, a organizational election. This is one election for which we have ample master strategists with in the party.

Friends, most of you may not be aware BJP every 3 years has a organizational election, we project it as proof of our internal democracy but sadly this one election has damaged BJP most in last 10 years - the animosity that develops with in BJP after every organizational election gets reflected in every election be it of a Municipality, State Assembly or Parliament.

Actually what happens is these organizational elections create a divide between active party workers down to Booth Level, party gets divided in groups within and like in every election ONE GROUP WINS. Till say 1998 the Party had Leaders who ensured that Consensus Office Bearer Teams were formed reflecting all groups but unfortunately it all changed once the Party came to power at Center.

All of a sudden a party that was cadre oriented became power center oriented. Atlast I can honestly say since 1999 Lok Sabha Election, I have not seen one general election "we all fought" - what happens is people till ground level keep saying JISKO MANDAL PRESIDENT BUNAYA JAO WOH HI VOTE DILWAYEGA. I have seen workers throwing back Unchecked Voter Lists on the face of Senior Leaders at last minute or demanding "prohibited things" all through voting day. How do we expect such workers to get votes ?

Sitting Councilor say in Vidhan Sabha election - HUM KYUN ISKE LIYE KAAM KAREN JISNE TICKET DIYA WOH JEETWAYGA or ISNE MERE ELECTION MEIN KAUN SA KAAM KIYA THA JOU MEIN KARUN.

Situation is so pathetic that even in Lok Sabha elections M.L.A's & Councilors, District or Mandal Office Bearers refuse to work for the party nominee due to Group loyalties.

Its time the party leadership accepts this truth and finds a solution to it.

I for one have a suggestion for Senior Party Leaders - PLEASE SUSPEND the ORGANIZATIONAL ELECTION Process. We in this country often hear at crucial junctures a talk of National Govt. I suggest its time the Leadership develop a NATIONAL PARTY ORGANIZATION. What I wish to say is that - you all within the party know about talented people within the party make a party organization from MANDAL, DISTRICTS, STATE & NATIONAL Level through CONSENSUS.

Lets bring up a organization that is not lopsided - we need to understand till we have strong Mandals we can't expect a come back in national politics.

Hope every one in Party remembers that there was a time when Senior Most People in Party headed Mandals and they had guts to scold even a Party M.L.A. or M.P. unlike today when Mandal Presidents are just Back Room Boys of Groups who are publicly scolded by all & sundry including local Councilors.

I know people like me don't matter at all in a big party like B.J.P. but for once I sincerely pray to SAI BABA to make my leaders think on developing a healthy organization.

Regards

Praveen Shankar Kapoor

[msawhney]

'Consensus' is a big question.

When is Modi becoming the party President? Why can't the BJP decide on something as simple and straightword as this?

[Omkar S. Tiwari]

praveenshankarkapoor on Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:05 am In Haryana strangely we allied with none and see where are we today.

If you compare 2004 and 2009, we have actually gained 2 more seats even without alliance ! So, I do not criticize BJP on this matter.

Regarding Central leadership:

- All fights regarding LS debacle should be settled by now but this has not taken place yet.

- BJP central leadership is totally disrupted and rotten. Even Prabhuji was pointing to this on results day. In congress, ministers are directly threatened for their ticket, so they do not speak any non-sense without the permission of central leadership.

- It took 3 months for the BJP to take resignation from Vasundhara. Vasundhara should have been clearly warned- if you wish to get BJP's ticket next time, quit the leader opposition post ! If she continued, she would have known that it was the end of her political career.

- On results day, everybody was giving his own set of reasons for the defeat. This was not the case at the time of LS. Everybody (at time of LS) said that we will discuss this in the forum. It means condition was better at the time of LS.

- Congress showed a strong central organization. Media was continuously asking them - who will be your next CM ? Their constant answer was - our high command will decide it. Nobody was allowed to discuss the CM issue in public- shows a strong central high command.

- Modiji can only save the BJP now. In Gujarat, nobody is allowed to speak any non-sense without Modiji's permission. Gujarat BJP has a strong central organisation.

- Let Modiji be the next party president. If Modiji is not willing then any other person having similar leadership capabilities from RSS/ VHP should be given the BJP presidentship. Currently, all top 5-6 leaders whose name is taken daily are not fit for this post. BJP should take help of Mohan Bhagwat and Pravin Togadia to decide this post.

[praveenshankarkapoor]

Dear All,

Mr. Nitin Gadkari ji has been elected President of Bhartiya Janta Party and all of us have great hopes from him. I sincerely Pray to SAI BABA to Bless Gadkari ji with all success.

Every body keeps talking about Electoral Set Backs that B.J.P. has been facing and divisive stage where the Party stands today. Yet no effort is made to understand what is wreaking the Party.

No doubt the Drawing Room Culture adopted by the Leadership is a premier reason but as is well known saying, "Deemak to andar hi andar ghar ko kha jaati hai."

Same is true for B.J.P. - Party Organizational Polls - which were supposed to give internal democracy - have now become a "Deemak" that is eating up the Party - breaking it in groups from Top to Grass Root.

I am in Delhi & even directly associated with the organizational poll process but am pained with all that I see all around. Every day News Papers carry reports of indiscipline & now even street violence amongst party workers. Party leadership has so far had to Suspend around a Dozen Workers. I am getting similar feed backs from other states too.

All this makes my write up of October 23, 2009 on Need to Stop the Organizational Polls at this L.K.Advani Forum all the more relevant today.

Now that the Party has unanimously decided on a new Party President who has not had much association with the groups that dominate the Party today in states - it is advisable that for once the Sangh Pariwar should act tough and like at National level the Party should let go off the Organizational Polls. All State Units should resolve to suspend the process of polls and leave the task of Selecting his team of Pradesh Presidents to the National President.

At State level a Team of 3 Leaders including the Selected President be formed to select composite teams upto Zila & Mandal levels consisting of real talent, not just yes men of local bosses.

A FEED BACK FROM ALL WOULD BE CHERISHED.

Praveen Shankar Kapoor
Delhi.