POLITICS OF VIOLENCE & HATE

Act 1: MNS MLA’s beat Abu Azmi, Samajwadi Party MLA in the Maharashtra assembly
Reason: For taking oath in Hindi and supposedly insulting the pride of ‘Marathi Manoos’

Act 2: Bal Thackarey warns Sachin Tendulkar in Shiv Sena’s mouth piece ‘Saamna’
Reason: For Sachin considering himself an Indian first instead of a Maharashtrian

Act 3: Shiv Sena goons vandalize IBN office (News Channel) & attack journalists
Reason: For showing true stories of Bal Thackarey’s politics

All the above incidents underline the chilling reality that haunts Maharashtra politics; Politics of Violence

Bal Thackarey has built his political career on the premise of violence & hate for over four decades. It began in the 60’s when he spearheaded the hate campaign against south Indians in Maharashtra. But the real rise of Thackarey was seen in the 90’s when he incited his party workers to kill Muslims in the aftermath of the Babri Mosque demolition. Sadly his party, the Shiv Sena along with ally BJP captured power for the first time in Maharashtra in 1995. This was the first election in the state after the Hindu-Muslim riots of 1992-93 and the 1993 Bombay blast. Known for his controversial politics, Thackarey has through out his political career not only spoken against Muslims, north Indian & south Indian but also appreciated the acts of violence carried out by his party workers.

Following his foot steps is his estranged nephew Raj Thackarey, the supremo of MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena). Raj might have drifted away from his uncle and started his own separate political outfit, but when it comes to violent methods the nephew has surely made his uncle proud. From 2006 onwards Raj’s MNS workers have constantly attacked north Indians (U.Ps & Biharis). And now with his goons also entering the Maharashtra Assembly and demonstrating on the very first day their idea of politics, things do not look any better

The only silver lining has been voters’ rejection of Bal Thackeray’s brand of politics. That is precisely the reason for senior Thackeray’s frustration. Both uncle and nephew are now fighting for the common cause and stooping down to reprehensible violent methods to endorse their ideology. Bal Thackeray is at the fag end of his political journey. All this while he hoped that his son and executive-president of Shiv Sena, Uddav Thackeray would carry forward his legacy. But Uddhav lacked Thackeray Snr charisma which gave his cousin Raj the perfect opportunity to tap.

The biggest factor for the rise of the Thackeray’s is with out any element of doubt the Congress. From the 70’s till date Congress which was always in power deliberately ignored the ring leaders who have led and spearheaded hate campaigns against different communities. Throughout the Congress has acted as a mute spectator.
Come 2006, Raj Thackeray’s MNS restored to the same violent methods The Congress led government remained a mute spectator again. It was only when the situation got out of hand completely and after much criticism not only from different parts of the country but international media did the government arrest Raj. But the Congress eventually succeeded in its goal. By letting Raj grow into a monster it was able to divide the Marathi vote which directly benefited the Congress. Thanks to Raj, Congress-NCP combine is back in power. Today both Shiv Sena and the MNS have the audacity to attack anyone, anywhere in Maharashtra. It doesn’t matter whether you are a student or a taxi driver or a journalist or a corporate worker or a common man. It is all about intimidation and cheap publicity at any cost. So what if Shiv Sena’s influence is eroding? Bal Thackeray still considers himself a tiger against no one can speak but mind you, he can speak against anyone like a dictator. Similarly Raj with just 12% of the vote share holds the right to beat any north Indian for not knowing Marathi or rather not respecting Marathi pride. So is the Congress going to stop them? To kill one monster it has to let the other one grow into an even bigger one!!

Unfortunately, Maharashtra is slowly becoming synonymous with the Thackareys; thanks to their ‘hate’ politics. This state has given India stalwarts from different walks of life. From cricketers like Gavaskar & Tendulkar to artists like Lata Mangeshkar & Madhuri Dixit to social actvists like Medha Patkar, Anna Hazare & Baba Apte to army General Arun Shridhar Vaidya. It’s a sad irony that the man who empowered every Indian with the freedom to speak in any language, follow any religion & work in any region was also a Maharashtrian. That man was none other than the architect of the Indian constitution- Babasaheb Ambedkar.

DANGEROUS POLITICAL GAMES

Indian polity has always been considered the reason for all major problems in the country. History is a testimony that Indian politic’s proximity with religion and money has proved to be the most dangerous. Last week three major controversies occurred in different parts of the country exposing the volatile nature of our polity yet again.

The Koda Scandal-The Madhu Koda case exposes yet again the nexus between politics and corruption. People are not startled or bemused at this exposure as they have got used to these scandals which have been part & parcel of our polity since independence. The only thing to watch out for is that, was Khoda actually involved in the multi crore scam or is he a victim of a political conspiracy.


Investigating agencies claim to have strong evidence to nail Koda and his associates. This investigation might throw up more political names in the days to come.

The Karnataka Shame -The most shameful poltical story of the week was the Karnataka political crisis. The strong Reddy brothers from Bellary held the whole state at ransom for two weeks. Chief Minister Yeddyurappa was stationed in the national capital to save his job. Meanwhile 57 shameless BJP MLAs who were supporting the Reddy brothers were enjoying 5 star luxaries in Hyderabad. All this drama was happening at a time when the state of Karnataka was trying to get back to normalcy after the floods exterminated northern part of the state last month. The floods claimed more than 200 lives and affected 18 lakh people. Instead of working together along with the bureaucacy to rehabilitate the citizens, the Bellary brother were busy in political bargaining with the BJP central leadership in New Delhi. The series of events saw CM Yeddyurappa breaking down in tears in front of the television camera for not been able to work for the flood victims blaming the Reddy brothers. Surprisingly the very next day he was feeding cake to Janardhan Reddy in front of the media after truce was called by the two warring sides. The Reddy brothers played a principal role in this whole reprehensible act but Yeddyurappa’s leadership would have become immortal had he resigned during this period and got back to Karnataka to concentrate on the rehabilitation work. Probably the government would have fallen given that the 57 shamless BJP MLA’s supporting the Reddys would have withdrawn
support from the Yeddyurappa led government but his stature would & credentials would have bolstered several folds. But alas!! These things are only a mirage in Indian politics.

To sing or not to sing?: To sing or not to sing?-Lastly, the most dangerous contorversy of all was the Vande Matram song issue. The issue which emanated again thanks to Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind’s ‘Fatwa’ against ‘the singing of Vande Mataram’. This issue is not new and has been doing rounds in political & religious circles for centuries. According to some Muslim clerics, certain stances in the song ‘Vande Matram’ are against the basic belief of ‘Islam’. In order to avoid this controversy, the Congress had set up a committee after independence which dropped the objectional stances from the song. The issue should have been settled there, but this latest Fatwa was definitely un-called for. Despite knowing right wing Hindu groups’ fascination with the Vande Matram issue the Ulema initiated the controversy. Not only did it create an unwanted controversy which many Muslims don’t agree to but also gave a chance to some elements to raise communal temperature again.

The question of singing or not singing Vande Mataram violates the very basic right of an Indian citizen. The right wing Hindu groups want Muslims to sing Vande Matram to test their loyalty which is absurd. Similarly the Ulema issuing a ‘Fatwa’ not to sing is ridiculuos, especially given that the corrections to objectional parts were made long back. It’s an individual’s right to sing or not to sing. No one can impose its stand on any individual.

All the above issues are a chilling reminder of the vulnerable nature of our Indian polity & society. And it also underlines the fact that no matter how much as a nation India achieves on the global level, the real battle is to conquer these domestic viruses which continue to be our biggest weakness.

DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK?

Indian National Congress is on a roll. Congress registered thumping victories in Maharashtra (with ally NCP), Arunachal Pradesh & though it fell short of a majority in Haryana but still managed enough to retain power. But unlike any normal election victory which is bundled with euphoria & celebrations, these latest election results have delivered an appaling message…The vibrant democracy is now getting reduced to an unhealthy boring democracy for reasons more than one.

The Rise of One Party Rule- It began with the Lok Sabha election results in May this year, when the Congress led UPA won a 2nd consecutive term with enhanced political mandate. This was the first time in 30 years that any alliance got a 2nd term on completion of its 5 year term. But more then UPA’s astouding victory the highlight of this election was the depleted ‘Opposition’. The principal opposition BJP lost even more seats in the parliament, while the Left parties fell to the 5th postion with an abysmal 20 seats. The new parliament is turning out to be an open playground for the UPA with the opposition seated clueless with no idea on how to counter the policies of the current government. With the Congress coming back to power in all the 3 states, it is now holds power in 15 states (in some states with allies). The writing is on the wall- NEED A POTENT, UNITED OPPOSITION TO BALANCE THE DEMOCRATIC ACT.

Bad governnace rewarded- The state of Maharashtra epitomises this issue in the best fashion. The Congress- NCP combine is back in power for the 3rd consecutive time. Congress- NCP government’s performance has proabably been one of the worst that any state would have witnessed in the last 10 years. Farmer suicide is going up, power shortage is at its peak, infrastructure development is slowest in the whole country, water shortage is increasing, and the security situation is detoriating coninuously. In the last ten years Mumbai alone witnessed 6 terror attacks.Since 2005, every year during monsoons, Mumbai gets flooded leaving the city reeling under water .Raj Thakarey’s MNS workers have openly attacked north Indians while the government stood silently instead of taking any swift action taken against him ( For obvious political reasons). With this kind of a performance if a party/ alliance still manages to win a 3rd term, then there has to be something miserably wrong with the opposition (BJP-Shiv Sena) , that the people of the state are dreading to give them a second chance.

Urban voting percentage emaciating- During the recent Assembly elections the turn out in Mumbai was an abysmal 46%, while Gurgaon registered 54% in the Haryana assembly elections.The voting percentages of the major metros of India in the Lok Sabha elections in May do not look encouraging at all with an exception of Chennai- Mumbai: 44%, Delhi : 53%, Bangalore : 46%, Chennai : 60%, Hyderabad : 54%...For the assembly elections the Election Commission in an unprecedented move made sure that offices, colleges, malls, theatres were all shut but yet the response was so poor. The problem is that urban India, the middle class, youth & professionals do not feel inspired by the political fraternity to come out & vote. With migration of rural population to urban areas going up, this trend could hamper the overall voting percentage even more in the years to come.

Rise of Naxalism- With the naxal menace getting worse by the day the Indian security situation has become even more volatile. The reprehensible violent methods adopted by naxals are a serious cause of concern. But an even more serious cause of concern is the growing support for these naxals in the rural & tribal areas. Poverty is the main reason behind this growing support which again successive governments have failed to counter. This rise in support underlines another chilling reality - The Indian poor drifting away from Indian democracy. The poor have started loosing faith in the political system to solve their basic issues. In turn they are embracing the even more poisonouse radicals who in the long run could spell devestation for the whole country including them.

After 62 years of independence India is again fighting a battle for democracy. Probably this time it’s not a mass revolution like it was against the british rule, but a more subtle & sustained battle been fought in different corners through different ways by different groups in this country. Its time for the establishement & the civil society to wake up & smell the coffee before the dragon within gets out of control.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES: SPORTS GLORY OR GLORIFIED SHAME?

In sligthly less than a year’s time India would be hosting the 19th Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. After the 1982 Asian games, this would the biggest sporting event to be organized by India. But with the chief of commonwealth games fedaration (CGF), Mike Fennell, raising serious concerns about the preparations, the build up to the games looks very shaky




Just a year back, China stunned the world by hosting argubly the best ever Olympic Games. It was a grand spectacle that left the world staggered and truly proved China’s determination to emerge as the super power of this century. The Olympic Games is a much bigger event in magnitude compared to the Commonwealth Games. Rio de Janerio, Brazil won the bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games setting another example as to how emerging countries are eyeing these major sports events to showcase their mite to the world. India will be only the 2nd Asian nation to host the Commonwealth Games. In what can be termed as a direct competition between the two emerging superpowers of the world, two of the biggest sporting events are happening within a span of two years. The world will watch closely the Delhi Commonwealth games to draw conclusions about India’s mite and capability to host major events.

But the problem is not about competing with China only. Olympic Games & Commonwealth Games are just not sporting events, but an opportunity for nations to showcase themselves to the world. Not to mention the amount of revenues that flow in the form of tourism & business.It also gives an opportunity to bolster the infrastructure of the host city which benefits millions of people living in the city.

The current state of infrastructure required for the games are not at all encouraging. 14 out of 19 stadiums are behind schedule, the airport enhancement program is lagging behind and so is the construction of bridges and roads that will connect the sports village to the various venues. It is expected that after the games are over, Delhi will have 47 fly overs & a full fledged metro service connecting almost the whole of Delhi. The biggest beneficiaries of this infratsructure would eventually be the common man.

But with Fennel settinp up a technical committee to monitor the work progress of the Commonwealth Games is nothing less then an insult for government of India. This clearly indicates the kind of confidence & faith the Commonwealth games federation has in the Olympic committee & the Sports ministry. When the Union Sports Minister MS Gill was quizzed by the media on this issue, surprisingly the Minister, who usually has an opinion (sometimes uncalled for) on everything related to Indian sports, zipped his mouth. If the sports minister of India cannot display confidence & assure that the preparation will be completed meticulously in time then, how can the federation have any faith in the organizing committee?

This is the same minister, who lambasted the greatest woman athlete of this country PT Usha, when she broke down due to the ill-treatment by the Sports Authority of India. This is the same minister, who refused to recognize Formula 1 racing as a sport. How does it matter that the viewership for this sport is one of the highest in the world and has been picking up constantly in India. The sports minister has hardly made any right noises from the time he has taken over.

However this is a golden opportunity for MS Gill to go down in history as a successful ‘Sports minister’ of India by ensuring that the Commonwealth Games are not only organized smoothly but in the best possible manner. Not only is the pride of India riding on the Commonwealth Games but also the future of Indian sports which has been one of the most underdeveloped area of this developing yet ambitious nation.

RICH MINISTERS, FAILED MINISTERIES

Open sky is not the limit…Minister of state of Civil Aviation, Praful Patel must be telling himself, but not because of Air India, which is fighting for survival at the moment, but refering to his own personal business. The richest minister of the union government of India is heading the sector which on the verge of a financial collpase.

Praful Patel also runs his Rs 500-crore CeeJay Group & owns one of India’s biggest bidi and tobacco-derivatives businesses. He is also referred as the ‘Bidi King’ in certain parts of Maharshtra. On one hand his business has grown at a tremendous rate, with his revenues increasing each year substantially, and on the other national carrier, Air India which is a public sector unit is struggling to survive. The national carrier has incurred loss of over Rs 7200 crores & accumulated a ‘massive’ Rs 15,000 crores as debt. The problem is that Air India was run comfortably if not profitabily over the past so many decades. The real problem started in the 90’s when a series of irrational steps were taken by the management. But the main trigger point for the speedy downfall was the merger of Air India with the government’s domestic carrier ‘Indian Airline’. Employees in the organization blame the merger as the main cause for the abysmal financial position of Air India.Other major carriers Jet Airways & Kingfisher are also under huge debt and fighting to stay afloat. Many from the industry blame the genuise ‘businessman’ cum minister Praful Patel for not helping the sector to come out of thi mess in any way.

Sharad Pawar the union agriculture minister might be having a tough time fighting the drought that has hit the country but when it come to his own business he has been laughing away to the bank. Though on paper his assets are worth 3.6 crores, but his family has business interest in agricultural land on prime highways which if converted to non agricultural land would fetch a premium of atleast 300%!!! His family also has huge stakes in various projects build around Mumbai & his party controls 70% of the sugar factories in western Maharshtra. According to an article in ‘Covert’ magazine there is a famous joke in Maharashtra about Pawar’s wealth, which people say is enough to run 5 delhis!!!...But yet the state of agriculture is in doldrums.One cannot blame the minister for the drought but what about the steps been taken to reduce the damage. Between 2004 & 2008, from the time Sharad Pawar has been the union agriculture minister, the average number of farmer suicides per year has been 17,513. Assuming that the number will remain the same for this year as well, even though it has been a drought this year, the total number of farmer suicides would be touching 90,000!!

These are just two examples from the current union cabinet of ministers who have been super sucessful businessmen but complete failures in lifting their sectors. The idea is not to target these 2 politicians, as there are many more such names…some of them making wealth illegally. Making personal wealth is not a sin for a politician as long as that is done legitimatly. But when successful businessmen fail to lift their respective sectors as ministers, then it really leaves a big question mark on his ability to deliver.

Sharad Pawar is also the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) president in waiting and has been the successful president of the cash rich Board Control Cricket of India (BCCI). Praful Patel is also on the verge of becoming the president of the All India Football Federation of India (AIFF).Both are known for their business & administration acumen.Then why is that these two ministers have completely failed in their respective sectors???? Aviation ministry was booming 3 years back and is now on the verge of a breakdown. Patel will be blamed for some of the policies and his inabilty to help the sector to fight the crisis. Many would argue that globally the aviation sector is struggling, but then what would one say about Air India, which was atleast able to some how sustain itself till 2 years back. The merger of Air India & Indian airlines (Patel’s brainchild) was implemented against the wishes of many has proved to be a blunder. Similarly, Pawar has failed to device any kind of methods & concrete startegies to help the farmers. It would be unrealistic to completely eradicate farmer suicides in 5 years which has been an ongoing agony for years, but in the last 5 years including the ones in which the rainfall was good, Pawar has failed to bring the number of suicides down. There has been no sign of any williingness to curb this ongoing deadly financial & social virus. In fact in 2006, in the Vidarbha region, which is in his own home state of Maharashtra, 4000 farmers committed suicide. Even if 10% of the revenues which the BCCI generated in the last 5years were invested in helping the farm sector, atleast a few thousand farmers could have been saved.

It would be unfair to generalise all businessmen cum politicians in the same bracket. The Sibals, Marans have atleast proved their agility in their respective sectors.But if changes for these important portfolios are not made soon then it won’t be surprising to see the current UPA government leaving a new legacy behind in the form of ‘Union (Failed ) Minister of successful businesses & sports bodies’.

WILL HE WALK THE TALK?

Last week Rahul Gandhi made a visit to Tamil Nadu in order to rejuvenate the ‘youth Congress’. Ever since the Congress led UPA has come back to power, Rahul Gandhi has constantly mentioned that he has two goals for the Congress party- 1) Build the Youth Congress & 2) Bring in democracy within the Congress..It may sound ironical that the Gandhi scion who himself is a product of ‘dynasty’ politics wants to alter the system on which his family legacy has been build in the last 62 years. But before Rahul Gandhi could even assimilate this idea, his first test has arrived.

The death of the charismatic YSR Reddy has come as a huge shock for the Congress party. And even before it could come to terms with reality, the Congress high command is already facing a huge dilemma. The call for making Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSR’s son) the next chief minister is getting louder in Andhra Pradesh. Under the interim arrangement, K Rosaiah has taken over the chief ministership till a decsion is taken by the Congress high command. Jagan Mohan Reddy is a 4 month old-first time MP, primarily known as YSR’s son. In the last 4 years he has converted his Rs 40 crore business into a massive Rs 5000 crore conglomerate. Being a chief minister’s son made his job easier as inflow of funds & getting projects was not a major hassle. This remains his only success story on the business front.

Similary the upcoming Maharshtra assembly elections is another classic example of dynastic politics.Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde wants a party ticket for his son in law while union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is eyeing the Latur assembly seat candidature for his son Amit Deshmukh. Amit is not the first one to join politics from this generation as Deskhmkh’s younger son Dilp Deskmukh is already a minister in the current Ashok Chavan cabinet. But it is President Pratibha Patel’s lobbying for son Raosaheb Shekhawat’s candidature from the Amravati seat which is creating the maximum buzz.

Politics is like family business in India. Even in the current Union cabinet there are a plethora of ministers who are an outcome of ‘dynasty politics. Jyothiaditya Scindhia, Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada are epitomes of dynastic politics .Congress is not the only party that follows dynasty politics but definitely is the creator of this system which now persists across party lines. Even for the party it is a safe bet to allot ticket to a politician’s child as victory is assured in most cases. Tall leaders enjoy idol worhship & popularity which makes entry for the generation next very easy.

With this kind of a political atmosphere in the country where electoral gain presides over stengthening long term grass root level politics, Rahul Gandhi has a huge task ahead of him. He faces his first litmus test when the Congress party decides on the Andhra Pradesh chief ministership. Though, Rahul has evaded his question till now by stating that he is not part of the decision making body, it is a well know fact that no decision is taken by Sonia Gandhi without Rahul’s consent. He has so far turned down a minister’s post in the Union cabinet in order to set an example. It is not going to be an easy task to deny tickets & political positions for family members of regional leaders who enjoy huge support in their respective regions.

In Andhra Pradesh also YSR supporters want their beloved leader’s son as the next chief minister at any cost.If the party high command decides to turn down their request, it could lead to a split within the state Congress. When Indira Gandhi was assasinated in 1984, the party workers forced Rajiv Gandhi who at that time was a political novice to take over the Prime Ministership. So if Rajiv can then why not Reddy? These are the questions that Rahul Gandhi will have to tackle bearing in mind the reality of today’s politics.

The Congress has suffered in the past when the likes of Sharad Pawar & PA Sangma revolted against the Gandhi family for running the party. And if regional satraps are denied politicaal opportunites for their families, there is a peril of losing ground in their strong holds where the party relies heavily on local leaders. Rahul Gandhi faces his biggest challenge of rewriting the rules of game, which if successful could change the face of Indian politics.

ADVANI- FALL OF THE GIANT

In the beginning of 1990’s when the Ram Mandir movement was at its peak, Advani symbolized ‘Hindutva’, which many thought would change the future course of this country. From being the poster boy of Hindutva to the controversial ‘home minister’ during the NDA regime to being the prime minister in the waiting, Advani has gone through plethora of highs & lows.

But unfortunately for Advani who once described himself as the prime minister in the waiting, that wait has ended on an eternal note. His 60 years political career is almost over on an all time low. The rising star of the BJP in the 90’s has been reduced to a leader minus authority of a directionless party. Advani build the BJP from the scratch to one of the biggest political party that is now struggling to keep afloat.



Over Shadowed by Vajpayee-The BJP from the time of its birth has relied completely on Vajpayee & Advani. Their personalities were quite contrasting from each other but they managed to build the party into a strong political entity. If Advani was the mass leader who created ripples by taking out the Rath yatra in 1990 that bolstered BJP’s electoral prospects, Vajpayee emerged as the liberal face of the right wing party and managed to lead a complex coalition for 6 years that helped BJP taste power for the first time. But there was a major difference between the 2 leaders…

Credibility Factor- What is it that made Vajpayee a more acceptable face even though Advani was considered a more natural leader due to his mass appeal? Vajpayee was a ‘consensus builder’ who had the charisma to not only unify his party but also various political outfits cutting across ideologies & regions. Even though BJP was a rightist, pro- hindutva party, it was Vajpayee’s credibility that brought various centrist & left inclined parties under the NDA government for 6 years. Advani was a respectful leader but not a credible one. And that is what went against him. It was his inconsistencies that led to his downfall rather then factionalism as many would believe.

The Ayodhya failure- During the ‘Ram Rath Yathra’ in the 1990's, Advani kept emphasizing that the Ram temple would be build only at the ‘exact site’ in Ayodhya and no where else. The Babri mosque was demolished in 1992 which he described as a tragic event but that did make him the darling of the hardliners. When the NDA did come to power, many within the BJP wanted him to be the PM to fulfill the Hindutva vision which he had campaigned for all this while. But he was not acceptable to other allies within the NDA due to his hardliner’s image. And when in power, he failed to push any of the promises he made which thrashed the aspirations of many hardliners. He lost their support from that time.

Controversial Administrator- His stint as the Home minister & Deputy PM were marked by controversies. He failed to act during the Gujarat riots when thousands were killed during the communal riots. The state was burning but Advani as the 'home minister' failed to control the situation. This did not go down well with his allies. The Kandahar hijacking was another question mark on his ability to deliver during crunch situations. His inability to act during tough time’s projected his image of a ’weak’ administrator who lacked the potential to lead this country.



The Jinnah Controversy- His Jinnah remarks were yet again another sign of inconsistency. A man who through out lived on the idea of ‘Akhand Bharat’ (Undivided India) suddenly called Jinnah, (the hate symbol for the BJP) a secular person is something that even the most liberal intellectuals couldn’t digest. He had to pay a price by stepping down from the post of BJP president. But this was a big gamble that Advani played in order to change his image among the masses. He knew in order to become PM he had to be a more liberal face like Vajpayee. That gamble failed with the 2009 election defeat. The biggest blow for him was the loss of RSS support, his backbone, which all this while projected him as the 'Mascot' of Hindutva

2009 Election Debacle- He gave his best during the 2009 elections. He raised the political temperature by hitting out directly on Manmohan Singh, who all this while discharged his duties silently. The idea of attacking Manmohan Singh on the personality issue rather than governance also went against him. In the personality clash, Dr Singh emerged as the winner thanks to Congress's thumping victory

The Rise of the Rebels- Advani’s decision to stick around for some more time made his position even more vulnerable. His decision to reward the likes of Jaitleys, Swarajs gave way for rebellion & indiscipline within the party. The rebels questioned his authority which had emaciated within the party.

The Jaswant Fiasco- The final nail in the coffin was the sacking of his old friend & loyalist, Jaswant Singh. Ironically Jaswant Singh was the only one to back him staunchly in 2005 for his Jinnah comments. In all fairness to Advani even if he wanted to defend Jaswant Singh, it was not possible because hardliners like Modi & Katiyar wanted some tough action. And Advani needed their support for survival at least till he makes a gracious exit.

Advani will no doubt be remembered as one of the strongest leaders who changed the face of Indian polity in the 1990's His political career was scripted by the RSS, which made him a hero. While Vajpayee made a gracious exit on his own terms, Advani had to be shown the door in a polite manner by the same RSS. Leaving a stable BJP behind would be the best way to say goodbye to his long & adventurous political career. He is known to be a fighter, but winning this final battle of his political career would be a task…