The man, who famously rode the Ram rath in the 90's at the peak of the Ram Mandir agitation, today is more like a lion in winter. So much so that he can't even take out an entire Yatra on his own.
Yes sir, he has to share that space with the present BJP President, Rajnath Singh. So while Advani starts out from Rajkot, Rajnath will kick off his yatra from Orissa. While Advani will pass through Maharashtra, it will be Rajnath who will visit Ayodhya, the mecca turned noose-around-the-neck for the BJP.
My conversations with all top BJP leaders have revealed one thing - Advani is a worried man. Advani is afraid that if he doesn't do something big soon, he will be relegated to the pages of history.
A senior BJP leader, a known close confidante of Advani made a rather interesting comparison, "Advani and Tendulkar are in the same boat today. Both appear to be nearing the end of their own carreers but neither is ready to hang up his boot just yet."
Now, it may be debatable issue as to whether Advani and Tendulkar should be talked about in the same breath, but it does nevertheless indicate how both are trying to hold onto their dear professional lives.
More than a decade ago, Lal Kishanchand Advani was trying to position himself as the iron man of Indian politics. But, somewhere along the line he realised that he had become a victim of his own efforts. Someone who was acceptable to everyone with the larger Sangh Parivar, but not acceptable to those outside this family. So while he did contribute majorly in ensuring that Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister, the feeling was beginning to sink in that the PM's chair may somehow elude him.
Enters Sudheendra Kulkarni. Vajpayee's Man Friday during his Prime Ministerial days. Almost a year after the NDA was booted out of power, Kulkarni was deputed to work with Advani. His brief - change Advani's image. Convert him from a hawk into a dove.
But what Kulkarni ended up doing was to make Advani as confused as his own self. Kulkarni used to be a Left-leaning journalist at one point of time. Happily taking on the likes of Bal Thackeray and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee at one point of time. Till he realised that he was actually at the wrong end of the political spectrum. It was Kulkarni who suggested that Advani goes to Pakistan and praise Jinnah. That one wrong move has landed Advani in his present state.
Worse, it was Kulkarni again who had this brainwave that Advani embarks on another Yatra, without taking anyone within the BJP into confidence. No VHP support, an unhappy RSS and an annoyed group of party colleagues. The prospect of another failed Yatra after the disastrous Bharat Uday Yatra, which led to the NDA's collapse at the centre. Little wonder that Advani is worried.
About the AuthorBhupendra Chaubey Bhupendra Chaubey has been a TV journalist for the past 12 years starting his career with NDTV. As a political journalist travelling across the length...Read Morefirst published:April 03, 2006, 17:54 ISTlast updated:April 03, 2006, 17:54 IST
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So, the Yatra man is at it again - doing what he knows best. Crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country in an air-conditioned bus, re-modelled as a rath. But that's where the trouble begins. LK Advani today is so confused that he is not even sure if he should refer to his vehicle as a rath or not.
The man, who famously rode the Ram rath in the 90's at the peak of the Ram Mandir agitation, today is more like a lion in winter. So much so that he can't even take out an entire Yatra on his own.
Yes sir, he has to share that space with the present BJP President, Rajnath Singh. So while Advani starts out from Rajkot, Rajnath will kick off his yatra from Orissa. While Advani will pass through Maharashtra, it will be Rajnath who will visit Ayodhya, the mecca turned noose-around-the-neck for the BJP.
My conversations with all top BJP leaders have revealed one thing - Advani is a worried man. Advani is afraid that if he doesn't do something big soon, he will be relegated to the pages of history.
A senior BJP leader, a known close confidante of Advani made a rather interesting comparison, "Advani and Tendulkar are in the same boat today. Both appear to be nearing the end of their own carreers but neither is ready to hang up his boot just yet."
Now, it may be debatable issue as to whether Advani and Tendulkar should be talked about in the same breath, but it does nevertheless indicate how both are trying to hold onto their dear professional lives.
More than a decade ago, Lal Kishanchand Advani was trying to position himself as the iron man of Indian politics. But, somewhere along the line he realised that he had become a victim of his own efforts. Someone who was acceptable to everyone with the larger Sangh Parivar, but not acceptable to those outside this family. So while he did contribute majorly in ensuring that Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister, the feeling was beginning to sink in that the PM's chair may somehow elude him.
Enters Sudheendra Kulkarni. Vajpayee's Man Friday during his Prime Ministerial days. Almost a year after the NDA was booted out of power, Kulkarni was deputed to work with Advani. His brief - change Advani's image. Convert him from a hawk into a dove.
But what Kulkarni ended up doing was to make Advani as confused as his own self. Kulkarni used to be a Left-leaning journalist at one point of time. Happily taking on the likes of Bal Thackeray and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee at one point of time. Till he realised that he was actually at the wrong end of the political spectrum. It was Kulkarni who suggested that Advani goes to Pakistan and praise Jinnah. That one wrong move has landed Advani in his present state.
Worse, it was Kulkarni again who had this brainwave that Advani embarks on another Yatra, without taking anyone within the BJP into confidence. No VHP support, an unhappy RSS and an annoyed group of party colleagues. The prospect of another failed Yatra after the disastrous Bharat Uday Yatra, which led to the NDA's collapse at the centre. Little wonder that Advani is worried.
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