Arrogance, punch drunk over power yet again proves to be the Achilles heel of BJP

Be it the 1999 “India Shinning” campaign that sank the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or the current tag line of “Aab Ki Bar 220 Ke Par” or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claim that he shall return back as the Chief Minister once again proves that its arrogance and of being punch drunk over power is its Achilles heel. Back in 1999, then Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was quick to read the writing on the wall and had ruled out his return to power to a stunned BJP-Shiv Sena audience.

This time more than the people, it is the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadres who have given the party a rude wakeup call to this blatant disregard to the views of its loyal cadres. Another big reason for the poor show was that the cadres got a raw deal. It may be recalled that at one such party meeting held last year, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had rebuked some of the party cadres for hanging around the corridors of Mantralaya and not concentrating on the task assigned to them.

Back in 1999, the BJP in a bid to encash on its perceived “India Shinning” campaign had advanced the Assembly election only to be sent by the electorate in the political wilderness for 15 years till 2014. Back then the blame for the misadventure fell on Dr Kirit Somaiya who the party argued had coined the phrase. This time around, who is to be blamed for the poor show – Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis or party president Amit Shah?

It is a clear indication that the party leadership has had a clear disconnect with its old guard. We at The News 21 had well in advance had predicted that the party was in trouble in retaining Parli, Muktainagar and Karjat-Jamkhed. For the Sena too it was difficult for them to have retained Purandar (Vijay Shivtare), Jalna (Arjun Khotkar), Bandra East (Trupti Sawant/Vishwanath Mahadeshwar).

The electorate seems to have somewhat been dismissive of the BJPs campaign strategy of harping on Article 370 and nationalism, overlooking the people’s aspirations and real issues. Another factor that not just the people, but even the loyal BJP cadres and old guard of the RSS were unhappy about was the mass scale import of leaders from other political parties. That left even the old guard to sarcastically remark that the dedicated cadres would be left with nothing but to make arrangements for the rallies and meetings, spread the mattresses, arrange the tables and chairs so that the imported leaders could squat on them and tell them about party ideology, loyalty and discipline.

The defeat at the hands of her own estranged cousin brother Dhananjay Munde in Parli assembly constituency must have been more stinging for Pankaja Munde. Her defeat is a classic example of how arrogance of power and disconnect with the electorate seem to have cost her dearly. Barring, Kaij (SC) where she managed to rope in NCPs candidate Namita Mundada even after NCP chief Sharad Pawar was first to announce the partys candidates in Beed district, the Munde sisters were unable to retain the grip their father, late Gopinath Munde had over the district.

The BJP ideally wanted its estranged ally the Shiv Sena should not be able to cross the 70 or 80 seats mark. But in the end, the BJP has not been able to increase its tally and neither has the Sena been able to do so. Both the parties were unable to control or reign in their rebels who spoiled their party in the end.