Former BJP general secretary K N Govindacharya, once a key member of the party’s think-tank, is likely to re-surface in public on January 14, ending two years of his oblivion (at-vaas). He is said to have chosen the ‘‘auspicious’’ Makar-sankranti for it marks the end of winter in the Hindu calendar. The venue for his return to public life may be New Delhi or Varanasi which he considers his home. Govindacharya, who was at Chennai today, is scheduled to arrive here soon. Though he commands a sizeable following in the BJP’s rank and file, his future role in the party is uncertain. Dropped by present BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu from the national executive, he has to even enrol himself as a primary member of the party afresh considering the ongoing membership campaign. Once counted among second-rung party leaders, Govindacharya was gradually pushed in to the background after Atal Bihar Vajpayee assumed the prime ministership. He got on to the wrong side of Vajpayee in the aftermath of the mukhauta (mask) controversy. An RSS swayamsevak, if denied a role by Naidu, Govindacharya can turn to the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM). He is already a member of the steering committee of the SJM. In fact, Govindacharya has been studying the impact of globalisation on India and is expected to make public his ‘‘conclusions’’ on that day. An ardent advocate of greater assimilation of the weaker sections in the BJP, Govindacharya lobbied for what was known as ‘‘social engineering.’’ For this, he called for a change in the party’s movement, face, character and thinking (chaal, chehra, charitra aur chintan).
