THE BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY: A HOUSE IN DISARRAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 003031 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INS, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR IN SUBJECT: THE BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY: A HOUSE IN DISARRAY REF: A. NEW DELHI 1273 ¶B. MUMBAI 336 ¶C. NEW DELHI 2583 ¶D. NEW DELHI 2564 ¶E. NEW DELHI 2636 ¶F. NEW DELHI 2624 ¶G. NEW DELHI 2991 Classified By: A/PolCouns Joel Ehrendreich for reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary: In the Spring of 2007, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared to be making a comeback after a series of electoral wins in both state assembly and municipal elections (reftel A). However, the euphoria ended following the party's abysmal performance in the May and June Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Goa state assembly elections. On June 24-25, the BJP held its National Executive Committee meeting in New Delhi to discuss overall direction and future strategy. While BJP President Rajnath Singh tried to sweep poor UP election results under the carpet, and shift focus to the alleged failings of the UPA government, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, L.K. Advani, demanded "introspection and critical analysis" to find the cause of the UP election debacle and the subsequent loss in Goa. A party once known for its intense intra-party discipline and grassroots power, provided by its Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) base, is in a state of disarray. To compound the chaos, on June 25, BJP ally, the Shiv Sena announced its support for UPA Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil (reftel G). End Summary. The Game of Chutes and Ladders -------------- ¶2. (C) After a string of victories beginning with UP municipal elections (October 2006),then Delhi local elections (April 2007),and Punjab and Uttarakhand state assembly elections(February 2007),the BJP seemed poised for a major comeback and had high expectations for state assembly wins in UP and Goa. However political pundits largely dismissed the purported BJP rise as short-lived and exaggerated. For example, the BJP won UP municipal elections because its chief protagonist, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was absent. ¶3. (SBU) Furthermore, in the UP state assembly elections, the BJP saw its worst performance in over 20 years. In 1991, the BJP held 51 of the 84 Vidhan Parishad (UP upper house) seats and 221 of the 425 state assembly seats. Currently, it holds only ten of the 80 Vidhan Parishad seats and 50 of the 403 state assembly seats. Former Prime Minister of the BJP-led NDA coalition government Atal Bihari Vajpayee accurately stated that "the road to Delhi is via Lucknow." Without political strength in India's most populous state, which sends the greatest number of MPs to the center, the BJP will have a tough time winning control in New Delhi in 2009. Additionally, the BJP, with the advantage of "anti-incumbency," expected Goa to be a sure win, yet that too slipped through its fingers (reftel B). Rajnath Singh: Hiding the Dirty Laundry -------------- ¶4. (C) In light of controversy over BJP mismanagement of the Meena/Gujjar situation (reftels C-F),the National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for June 4 and 5 in Rajasthan was moved to Delhi and held on June 24 and 25. BJP President Rajnath Singh, originally from UP, was expected to bring UP home for the party. Having failed, he attempted to sweep the dirty election results under the carpet, briefly characterizing the contest as a "one-time aberration." Embassy contacts revealed that Kalyan Singh, former UP Chief Minister (CM) and hopeful CM in the event of a BJP win, asked to present an analysis of what went wrong in UP. However Rajnath Singh, afraid of being held personally responsible for the party's poor showing, did not allow it. Stale Agenda of the National Executive Committee Meeting -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Instead, Rajnath Singh focused the meeting on the NEW DELHI 00003031 002 OF 003 failings of the UPA government, particularly in the areas of national security, agriculture reform, and foreign and economic policy. On June 24, the executive committee passed two resolutions, one attacking the UPA for ignoring national interest in negotiating the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear deal and the other blaming the UPA for jeopardizing the country's food security. The agenda also included a discussion of the controversial Sethusamudram Project. (Note: A proposal to dredge the Sethusamudram sea to build a canal and harbor between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, India. End Note). The RSS opposes the project, asserting that it would destroy a natural bridge they claim was built by the Hindu God Ram. Advani Sticking A Thorn in Rajnath's Side -------------- ¶6. (C) Tension has long existed between former BJP President L.K. Advani and current President Rajnath Singh. In 2005, Singh became BJP President after the RSS forced Advani to step down for asserting that Pakistan's first Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a "secular man." At the June 25 executive committee meeting, Advani put Rajnath Singh on the spot by highlighting the UP election debacle, and calling for "honest introspection and self-critical analysis" of the BJP's state of affairs, with particular focus on the UP election. Virtually pinning Rajnath Singh down on the issue, he asked a series of pointed questions: -"Why did the BJP fail to project itself as the most credible and winnable alternative to the incumbent Government of the Samajwadi Party? -Why did a section of our core supporters shift to the BSP? -Why were we unable to win support from other sections of society? -What were the weaknesses in our party organization? -What were the mistakes committed in the management of our campaign?" Advani demanded that Rajnath Singh, in consultation with senior colleagues, detail "corrective actions" to be taken on an urgent basis both at the Center and in the states. Further, Advani stressed that with Gujarat elections scheduled for December, 2007 and ten states going to polls in 2008, the BJP must organize a party conclave to strategize for 2008 and the national 2009 elections. Advani maintained that the BJP must get its act together quickly. Having kept away from party organizational matters for almost a year, Advani's strong comments indicated his intention to play a more active role in the party. Cracks in the Pavement: the RSS and BJP -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The traditional muscle power of the BJP has always been the RSS. Journalists often note that the RSS can survive without the BJP but the BJP cannot exist without the RSS. This inextricably links the BJP to the RSS's Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) agenda. If the BJP does not toot the Hindutva horn, the RSS will not mobilize the Hindu voters. Recognizing this, Advani requested that Rajnath Singh establish state level "booth committees," to enlist a cadre of supporters for grassroots power. Grappling for Power -------------- ¶8. (C) With the party's leadership at the octogenarian stage, there is a long list of second tier personalities vying for leadership. The hopefuls include, BJP General Secretary and Member of Parliament (MP) Arun Jaitley, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, BJP General Secretary and MP Sushma Swaraj, BJP President Rajnath Singh, BJP MP Murli Manohar Joshi, BJP MP Venkaiah Naidu. All are positioning themselves to become Prime Minister. On June 12, Hindustan Times Political Editor Pankaj Vohra explained to Poloff that while Congress is not in better shape than the BJP in many ways, it indisputably has one leader -- Sonia Gandhi -- who makes decisions. The BJP used to be highly regarded for its discipline, but is now in chaos, with so many politicians trying to play out individual fantasies of leadership. Badly Managed Presidential Race NEW DELHI 00003031 003 OF 003 -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The manner in which the BJP handled the Presidential election does not bring credit to a party with aspirations of returning to power. With the newly formed Third Front, also called the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), announcing support for current President Abdul Kalam, the BJP found itself in a conundrum, as it had already expressed support for current Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Kalam was the BJP's original candidate, and suddenly it found itself with one too many candidates to support. It "responded with the poise of a freckled teenager offered an option of dates for a school social," commented journalist Ashok Malik. The BJP wavered in its support for Shekhawat, then supported both candidates, and then supported Kalam if he agreed and declared that Shekhawat would step aside. Finally, Kalam put the BJP leadership out of its misery by withdrawing from the race. But the damage had already been done, and the BJP appeared in total disarray. ¶10. (SBU) To make matters worse, the BJP lost the loyalty of the Shiv Sena which decided to break its 20 year alliance and support fellow Maharashtran and UPA Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil (reftel G). The decision enraged the BJP, as it underlined the party's inability to maintain discipline and cohension among its allies, and reflected badly on its stewardship of the NDA coalition. Comment: What Does the BJP Have to Offer? -------------- ¶11. (C) After the National Executive Committee meeting, newspapers harshly criticized the BJP, carrying headlines citing a "Rudderless Party," "BJP in Doldrums," and "the BJP's Bluster." The energy from a series of BJP sweeps at the beginning of the year appears to have fizzled. With Gujarat elections on the horizon in December, the UP and Goa losses do not bode well. We expect Modi to face challenges from within the party and a stiff contest from his Congress rival. Having lost the UP election, with no compelling leader to project and no coherent policy statement, except for the RSS Hindutva message, the BJP might be relegated to fighting the UNPA for the role of the leading opposition combine. MULFORD