In view of the assembly elections in five states, UPA government’s falling popularity because of the galore of corruption charges and the last opportunity of a certain leader to full his vaulting ambition, several yatras are under way in the country.
Most of the yatras by political, spiritual leaders and members of civil society are only confined to poll-bound Uttar Pradesh but the Jan Chetna Yatra, covering 23 states, about 7000 km and lasting about more than a month, by the tallest leader of BJP and former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani is meant for awakening people against growing corruption and how Dr. Manmohan Singh-led UPA government has completely failed to check it that resulted in scams like 2G, CWG, Adarsh and several others.
Advani, the veteran leader of BJP and one of the most respected political leaders of the country , knows pretty well that the national mood is building up against the government. So the time is ripe for him to exploit the situation politically for the party in general and for him in particular to fulfill his last ambition to become the prime minister by winning the general elections in 2014 for BJP-led NDA.
But the way is not so easy for him. BJP has no dearth of leaders. All in private oppose each other whenever the opportunity arises. On the front of the issue of prime ministerial candidate of BJP, there can be no consensus given the growing ambition among second line of leaders. Sushma Swaraj is the party’s leader in Lok Sabha and Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha. So, both aspire to be named by the party as candidates for prime minister. After these two leaders, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi considered to be the strongest candidate among second line of leaders is also in the race for prime ministerial candidate. Party President Nitin Gadkari, who is also reportedly going to fight Lok Sabha from the constituency of his choice, is also not keeping himself back from prime ministerial candidate competition and former party president Rajnath Singh is also not keeping himself aloof from party’s bull fighting show.
In the given situation inside the BJP, L K Advani’s prime ministerial aspiration is definitely not easy to be fulfilled. One thing is also clear that whoever be the prime ministerial candidate of the party must have strong backing from party’s doting parent Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS). Untill and unless it gives its stamp of approval, no party leader can be declared as the candidate for prime minister if the party wins elections in 2014. L K Advani has not been in the good book of RSS since he praised Jinnah during his Pakistan visit. Praising Jinnah also cost him the post of party president at that time itself. RSS wants L K Advani to retire from active politics but his ambition prevents him from doing so.
In view of the growing disenchantment of the people with UPA Government, Advani found it an opportune time to launch Jan Chetna Yatra against corruption to tell the people that they have still a leader of national stature to deal with the issues of corruption and rising prices firmly. He also wants to make it clear through his sixth yatra that he is still energetic and active to serve them. L K Advani is himself of clean image and man of integrity. But as far as the issue of corruption is concerned, the BJP itself is not above the board. Recently, a former party chief minister of Karnataka B S Yeddyurappa was arrested in corruption cases. The court sent him to jail whom Advani reportedly said during the yatra that he had cautioned him against corruption. So here the question arises that whether Advani has undertaken yatra only against the corruption in government or against his own party governments facing corruption charges in various states.
There can be no double standard on the issue of corruption. The scale of measurement is the same. The need of the hour for L K Advani and all other political leaders to look inside and go self-introspection yatra to cleanse the political class.
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