The growing flames of rebellion in the BJP camp may havebeen doused in the nick of time by the party leadership, but in the process,these disgruntled leaders have exposed their hollow political ambition. AfterDilip Parulekar was appointed Vice President of the State BJP with a promise ofa bigger role, Shripad Naik's son Siddesh Naik, who fell out of favour inCumbarjua was named party's State Secretary and In-charge of the Vascoconstituency. Anil Hoble, a vice-president of BJP and a strong contender inSanta Cruz has gone silent after threatening to contest as an Independent.
The moral of this script bears a footprint of mainstreampolitics where dissidents are silenced via opaque rewards. The BJP leadershipmay have gone about their job of fire-fighting by doing a delicate balancingact within the organisation. Agreed, there were some compelling reasons, andthat could be part and parcel of politics. But while in search of winnability,the BJP leadership has struck upon major compromises that have taken the partybeyond its ideology.
In offering party postings to sidelined candidates, the BJPhas only exposed the selfish appetite of their leaders. Those taking the highmoral ground and promising to work for their constituents have compromised.This sets a poor precedent on a political template that is muddied indefections; where players have often gained notoriety for frequentparty-hopping and settling for selfish gains.
Leaders like Siddesh and Parulekar have arrived at a'settlement' bringing down their credibility and trustworthiness in one stroke.If this was a supreme sacrifice in the interest of the party, it should havebeen unconditional. They should have welcomed the decisions of the party withoutany 'give-and-take' or strings attached. These political leaders don’t deservethe goodwill and sympathy of their constituents now.
In this context, Utpal Parrikar stands apart because of hisunwavering resolve in contesting the Panaji constituency, and for not bowingdown to any offers even though the odds are stacked against him. This showsstrong character, irrespective of the much-talked-about legacy of ManoharParrikar.
If party leaders have to find reason in the selectionprocess, they would see bigger chaos. If Utpal was denied a ticket because ofhis low rank on party work, then a question would be raised on Janita'sselection in Cumbarjua. If Madkaikar was the reason why Janita was the chosenone, then the party bosses will have to redefine 'family' politics once again.If Congress-import Tony Fernandes is preferred over BJP's vice-president andloyal soldier Anil Hoble, then the narrative in the case of Isidore Fernandesand Deepak Pauskar appears unfair.
The selection of candidates may have given the BJP thejitters, given the complexities of seats and the candidates, but at the sametime, it has exposed the chinks in the armoury of a party which at one pointwas rooted in ideology and principles. It was rare that hardcore BJP leadershave taken cudgels against the party leadership and their nominees bycontesting against them. It is only to be seen if the BJP is going the way ofCongress.
