And the Parivar said give us our Gandhi

Nearly three decades ago, they represented two opposite poles of the polity — Maneka, young and glamourous wife of Emergency’s bad boy Sanjay Gandhi, and they, leaders of the erstwhile Jan Sangh, sufferers of Indira Gandhi’s clampdown on civil liberties. But today, they stood as one, posing for the camera.

BJP president Venkaiah Naidu filled their enrolment forms. It was his party’s card to counter the other-half of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty represented by Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul. BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan, who did the backroom work, was also there to welcome them.

Sonia, who was in Berhampur in Orissa when reporters sought her reaction, wished Maneka and Varun success: ‘‘Everyone has the right to join any political party. I wish them success.’’

Maneka’s relationship with the BJP, marked by aloofness ever since she allied with the party in 1996, ended abruptly two years ago when she, the Culture Minister, was dumped.

Today, there’s speculation that the BJP threatened not to support Maneka in Pilibhit — the party has never put up a candidate there — if she did not join them because it suits the BJP to neutralise as many single, independent coalition partners.

‘‘The BJP has been asking me for at least a year,’’ says Maneka. ‘‘I took some time mulling over it because I am not a person who can make a change quickly.’’

But Pilibhit also has a high minority vote—Muslims constitute 25 per cent— so, how does she propose to keep them now that she is with the BJP? ‘‘I have won Pilibhit with the largest margin ever because of the minority votes. I did meet community leaders before I joined the BJP. They felt that since I have been supported by the BJP in the past, there’s nothing new today.’’

She is dismissive of the Sangh Parivar’s divisive agenda. ‘‘I have allied with the BJP through the NDA five years ago,’’ she counters, ‘‘I have never spoken or raised issues like mandir and communalism in public. I have contributed to rehabiltation work, post-riots in 1984 and in Gujarat when I sent clothes for victims there.’’

‘‘I now believe being an independent is an anomaly. I have held my own for some time and seen its benefits. But it’s also true that as an independent, I can take issues close to my heart only up to a certain level. A national party can make it a national issue.’’

How would her late husband, Sanjay Gandhi, who the Sangh Parivar never failed to resurrect to hammer the Congress, react to his son and wife joining the BJP? ‘‘Sanjay would have been happy. He always wanted what made me happy.’’ What does the future hold for her? ‘‘I wonder where it will all end,’’ is all she says. — (with bureau reports).