NEW DELHI, December 14: The real beneficiary of the Ayodhya turmoil in Parliament is the man who was the Opposition's prime target: Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani.Today the Parliament - including the BJP's allies - endorsed and, that too, through a vote, the view that he, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharati need not resign. Advani's strongest defence came from Atal Behari Vajpayee himself who said that even if the Home Minister were to quit (if charges are framed in the Ayodhya case), he would not accept it.So far, the chargesheet had hung like a sword over Advani's head. And last year, when the Congress had demanded the resignations, Vajpayee had argued that the courts were yet to frame charges. Then, he had drawn a distinction between a criminal case and what he called a political movement.But this time Vajpayee sang a more shrill tune. This may have got the hawks in the restive Sangh to close ranks under hi, but he has lost his USP: his carefully cultivated moderate image, which made him larger than the BJP and acceptable to allies - in preference to someone like Advani.Today, and this is ironical, the allies legitimised Advani's role - and leadership.The episode is also a setback at a time when minorities had begun to look at Vajpayee with new eyes following Bangaru Laxman's appeal to the Muslims and the declaration of a ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir during Ramzan.But now thanks to the PM's statement and the Parliament debate, Ayodhya is back on the front burner pushing the BJP's poor performance on the economic or the law and order fronts into the background, particularly in UP. This suits the party which is fighting with its back to the wall in the country's largest state, where the crucial elections may take place in April along with other states.In the short run, Vajpayee may breathe easy. Pressure from the Sangh will ease off but the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, so far reined in, may get increasingly restive and push ahead with the temple construction. The nervousness of the allies is likely to grow. Today, they voted with the Government because they had no option and they don't want elections. But they aren't happy with the revival of the temple issue since it puts them on the defensive with the minorities. The winter session of Parliament may have started a process which could lead to loosening of ties between the BJP and its allies.
