BJP: SANGH PARIVAR
Household DutiesThe BJP sees itself as part of a joint family where
politics is just one preoccupation. Today Vajpayee's agenda sets the tone but the RSS
isn't going to meekly allow the parivar to be hijacked or subverted.
LEADER
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Never the first choice of the Sangh Parivar for the top job, the prime minister
still remains their best bet. Now a national leader with an appeal that goes far beyond
the party, Vajpayee nevertheless retains a large measure of corporate loyalty to a family
he has faithfully served for nearly half a century. For the coming Lok Sabha election he
is the BJP's unchallenged leader and its most charismatic nationalist icon. But the
hardliners won't be inactive. They may wait for an opportune moment to strike. Can
Vajpayee tame them this time?
STRATEGIST
L.K. Advani
Today's BJP is essentially a creation of Advani. As head of the campaign committee, Advani
will combine rigorous touring with strategic planning. He won't impose his agenda on the
party but the hardliners still look to him as a foil to Vajpayee's moderation.
ORGANISATION
M. Venkaiah Naidu
Although he appears before the cameras, Naidu's main work is behind the scene. He oversees
the logistical details of the campaign.
K.N. Govindacharya
Not Vajpayee's favourite apparatchik, he is the party's main firefighter in Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar where he enjoys a substantial cadre following.
Kushabhau Thakre
Nominally the party president Thakre operates as a father figure to the workers. Will tour
250 constituencies to oversee arrangements.
Narendra Modi
A pracharak who should have been in electoral politics, Modi is an accomplished speaker
and a formidable organiser. A man to watch out for.
SANGH CONTROLLERS
K. Sudarshan
The RSS' formal bridge to the BJP, Sudarshan is uneasy with Vajpayee's agenda. If the BJP
wins, he will once again assert himself.
Raju Bhaiyya
The ailing head of the RSS is the only man Vajpayee is truly comfortable with. A
major check on the hotheads.
ROADBLOCKS
D. Thengdi
Is determined to take the swadeshi battle to the streets.
S. Gurumurthy
The swadeshi ideologue who hasn't given up his battle.
A. Singhal
VHP chief is biding his time. A post-election nuisance.
MONEY
Ved Prakash Goyal
A silent behind-the-scene fund-raiser who is the party's permanent treasurer, he knows how
best to collect and distribute largesse.
SPIN DOCTORS
Arun Jaitley
A master of arguments, Jaitley plans the briefings to the media and prepares one-liners
that are picked up by television.
Arun Shourie
An individualist who is uneasy with collective functioning, Shourie
provides the intellectual inputs to the party's campaigners.
TROUBLESHOOTERS
George Fernandes
The link to the non-BJP elements in the coalition. Watch him during seat distribution.
P.R. Kumaramangalam
Has brought Congress management techniques into the saffron camp.
COLD STORAGE
K.L. Sharma
A stodgy war horse who is not at ease in the glamour world of TV.
K.R. Malkani
Yesterday's English-speaking ideologue who's been told to keep away.
J.P. Mathur
If elections had not intervened he may have remained on television.
STAR CAMP
Pramod Mahajan
Organiser, publicist, fund-raiser, campaigner, he is just about everywhere.
Uma Bharati
A draw during the campaign, she has matured as a politician.
Sushma Swaraj
Has opted out of the contest but plans a comeback through rigorous campaigns.
Shatrughan Sinha
Ever popular campaigner, he blends buffoonery with hard politics.
M.M. Joshi
The real hardliner who is also a team player, he will slug it out in the heartland.
MASCOTS
M.A. Naqvi
The new minority face of the BJP will be used to project an accommodating party.
Sikander Bakht
The original Muslim face of the BJP, he is still serving the cause with passion and
loyalty.
WORDSMITH
Jaswant Singh
An oddity in the BJP, his drafting skills will be brought into full play to present a
modern forward-looking manifesto. |
