‘I am the president. Vajpayee, Advani are leaders of the party. They are above me’

Chances are very high for an early election. The CPM will not compromise on the nuclear deal issue and the Government is set to fall.

You are claiming to be ready for elections but isn’t the BJP struggling to stand on its feet?

We are ready for the battle. Our ongoing programme — “BJP at every polling booth” — is a huge success. In some states it has already achieved 100 per cent success. For instance, in Gujarat.

But in UP, your home state, things are really bad for the BJP. Why?

I admit that we are not as strong as we used to be. But things have improved from the time of Assembly elections. Parliament elections will be vastly different from the Assembly one. I don’t think the Brahmins have joined the BSP permanently. They will come back. The Scheduled Caste base of the BSP is eroding already.

The BJP’s alliances are also not working for it. Are you not failing to manage partners?

There are minor issues with the Shiv Sena, but by and large the NDA alliance is intact and it will expand before the elections. We will have new partners.

Will the next elections be won by a Third Front Government of some sorts, given that regional parties and the Left are moving closer?

It is not possible to say anything definite at this point. The conflicts within the so-called Third Front parties are such that they cannot sustain.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, your ally, has said A B Vajpayee should be the PM candidate of the alliance. Do you think Vajpayee was more helpful in winning allies for the BJP?

The only thing that I will say on the question of leadership is that there is no confusion within the BJP on the issue.

But there is a lot of confusion outside the BJP on the issue. Will you indeed declare a PM candidate when the polls are announced?

I told you, there is no confusion in the party.

As president, are you the leader of the party?

I am the president. A B Vajpayee and L K Advani are the leaders of the party.

They are above the president?

Yes, they are above me also.

But then, who takes decisions? There is a perception that you don’t wield authority. Some of your colleagues defy you with impunity.

I consult Vajpayeeji, Advaniji and senior colleagues before taking any decision. No colleague has ever defied me. Everyone has cooperated with me.

But the BJP under you cannot be called a disciplined party.

On the question of discipline, you may notice that the BJP is the only party in the country that has not split vertically. People can have opinion, that is part of internal democracy. But individual leaders are always less important that the organisation.

There is a lot of speculation in the media on the relations between the RSS and BJP, that the RSS is withdrawing from the affairs of the party, etc. Could you clarify?

Many of the BJP office-bearers, including me, are volunteers of the RSS. The RSS does not dictate to the BJP. But we do consult them on matters of national importance. It is a nationalist organisation and the world’s largest cultural organisation. When the party required some wholetimers with experience, I requested them for some people. They met my request.

So that practice will continue? You will request them for workers in the future also?

Yes, if need be. That practice will continue.

That means, the RSS-BJP relations will continue as they have always been.

It is not that the RSS wants to be in the BJP. They send people because we demand it.

As party president, can you pinpoint some programmes which you think are distinctively your initiative?

As it told you, individuals are not important. But I have personal interest in the programme “Bhajpa har booth pe” and reserving 33 per cent posts for women.

The media, particularly the English one, has been quite harsh towards you. Are you hurt?

I am hurt at times, but that is not important. Everyone has a right to say, everyone is welcome to say that.

Your son’s appointment as the youth wing president in UP got you a lot of bad press. Do you think it could have been avoided?

The fact is that I was not consulted on the issue and my consent was not taken. In fact, he was cleared as a candidate in the recent Assembly elections by senior leaders, including Vajpayeeji and Advaniji, and the reason given was that his candidature will influence several constituencies. But he chose to withdraw from it. He is certainly interested in politics.

So you did not know that your son was to be appointed president?

That day late at night, he came and touched my feet. I thought he had come from some journey and asked him where he had been. Then I learnt about the appointment.

Did you tell him to resign?

No, I had trust in him to take the right decision. When he resigned, I asked the state president to accept the resignation immediately.

Moving on, what are you going to do with rebels in Gujarat? Are you talking to Keshubhai Patel?

We have been talking to them. Advaniji, Arun Jaitley and I discussed the issues with Keshubhai while he was here this week. I hope he will come around.

Did you tell him that Modi will be BJP leader?

Yes. Modi will lead the BJP in Gujarat. I don’t think there can be any change in that.

Will you talk to them again?

Where is the time now? Elections are so near.