Bharti146;s challenge

RSS ideologue K N Govindacharya comes into the Bharatiya Janashakti campaign at a time when its founder Uma Bharti was struggling to position her fledgling party...

RSS ideologue K N Govindacharya comes into the Bharatiya Janashakti campaign at a time when its founder Uma Bharti was struggling to position her fledgling party in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. On the face of it, the former BJP general secretary8217;s sudden return to active politics is unlikely to impact the electoral fortunes of Bharti8217;s 30-month old party, more so because it has come with only 10 days left for Assembly elections in the state.

Bharti8217;s party is contesting from 207 seats, a tall order, given her lack of resources and organisational heft. But more than anything else, it is her inability to keep her flock together that has put a question mark over her challenge.

Former BJP vice-president Raghunandan Sharma and another leader, Bhagwandas Sabnani, left her midway to return to their parent party. Her close confidant Prahlad Patel has announced himself leader of a breakway faction, claiming he could not put up with her temperament and ideological flip-flops. Bharti claims she has patched up with him, but he is operating on his own, with the two still not on talking terms. Then, she recently slapped her party8217;s vice-president Anil Rai in full public view and later tried to make up. It did not work. Rai left the party. 8220;She may be temperamental but her integrity can8217;t be questioned,8221; says her mentor Govindacharya.

Bharti appears to be determined to take revenge on the BJP for her 8220;humiliation8221;. She had helped the BJP to a resounding victory in 2003 winning 171 seats out of 230. But she stepped down after eight months following the issuance of court summons against her. And the party never restored her to what she sees as her rightful throne.

Bharti hopes to tilt the balance in Bundelkhand, a region to which she belongs. She is banking on the Lodhis, an OBC caste she belongs to. Keeping the caste equations in mind, her party has fielded only one Thakur in the region. 8220;The backward castes will vote in large numbers for us because other parties have mostly opted for the Thakurs,8221; says a party leader who belongs to the region.

Despite contesting in several by-elections, Bharti8217;s party could not open its account in the state in which it was formed. A BJP candidate won the by-election in Bada Malhera, caused by Bharti8217;s resignation from the Assembly. The by-election had become a prestige issue for her and she campaigned vigorously.

True to her reputation for unpredictability, Bharti filed her nomination from Tikamgarh on the last day of filing nominations, less than 36 hours after announcing that she would not contest. Her candidature has brought some sense of purpose to her party8217;s campaign in the predominantly backward region of Bundelkhand. The large turnout in her recent rally in Bhopal had, in fact, made the BJP leadership sit up and take notice. But then, she is her party8217;s only campaigner.

Story continues below this ad

8220;The Congress is our only opposition,8221; says state BJP president Narendra Tomar. Former Congress chief minister Digvijay Singh says, 8220;Bharti will seriously damage the BJP only if she remains firmly in the contest till the last moment.8221;