Migrating from one party to another on the political playing field is not very new for close observers. However, the reasons for the same are often misunderstood by people and misquoted by the migrants.
A virtual war of sentiments has erupted ever since former senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Eknath Khadse decided to leave the party for his future endeavours at the age 68. As one of the senior-most leaders of the party in Maharashtra, who has worked very hard from the very early stages, Khadse was considered to be someone very loyal to the BJP’s ideology. However, including this instance, we have various examples now which have proved over time that it is always about opportunity over ideology.
There is a reason behind the above said transition which needs to be understood. Politics is all about the quality of people you have. That works towards strengthening a party’s footprints across geographical boundaries. Gradually, as the party strengthens its roots, the leaders become stronger and more influential as well and start holding senior positions within the party. A leader who commences his political journey right from being a party worker then starts envisaging himself as a Corporator of the city. This journey continues from here to aspiring for the positions of Mayor, Member of Legislative Assembly, Member of Parliament, Minister, Chief Minister, so on and so forth. However, in this process of evolution, some people tend to deviate from the ideal line of social service, which is “nation first, then party, and then self”. This philosophy happens to be the founding principle of the BJP.
Often, with the progress in positions within the party, leaders are inclined to think that they are above the party. These leaders continue to take a dominating stand on various issues regardless of the opinion of others. This dominant stand is by the virtue of their influence. However, this particular influence cannot be perpetual in politics as change is the only constant—something which such leaders tend to be oblivious of. And no political outfit can be excluded from this phenomenon.
If previous cases are analysed, Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane was made the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Chhagan Bhujbal was made Mayor. However, these leaders still migrated from their respective parties. One has to understand that if you are an elected representative, then you are the one chosen by your party amongst many in line. Even if the leader is at an influential position in the constituency, it is the party that elects the candidate and not vice versa.
No one will have the slightest of doubts that Eknath Khadse was instrumental in the BJP penetrating its roots throughout the state. However, it doesn’t mean that he was above the party. In fact, he grew equally along with the party.
Besides, one also has to think about how much the BJP has given him. He has been an MLA consistently, along with being the leader of Opposition, and going on to become a minister in the Maharashtra government with multiple ministries led by the BJP.
Along with Eknath Khadse, his daughter and daughter-in-law have also been given tickets to be elected representatives. But it is indispensable for every politician to understand that no party can satisfy his/her ever growing demands. Besides, the behaviour of Eknath Khadse in the last two years was most verily not appreciated by the party cadre. It is wrong and unfaithful to the party which you have served for so many years to initiate a blame game within by pinpointing someone specifically.
The 68-year-old Khadse, who was the de facto number two in the Devendra Fadnavis government, singled out the former Chief Minister as the one responsible for his exit from the BJP. Khadse told reporters at a press conference: “Even today, I have no complaints against anyone in the BJP. I have no complaints against the central leadership… I am only upset with Devendraji.”
The six-time former MLA from Jalgaon’s Muktainagar constituency then referred to a 2017 case filed against him by social activist Anjali Damania, at a time when CM Fadnavis ran the home department. “The way Devendraji registered a case of molestation against me, set up multiple inquiries… I was cleared in all of them. But I suffered mental torture… even death is better than this,” Khadse said.
What Khadse forgot, willfully or otherwise, was that the BJP is a party with a difference. We have a grievance redressal mechanism within the party wherein Khadse could have talked about the issues he had been facing. Blaming former Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis alone for everything cannot be accepted, as in the BJP, we have a collective decision-making mechanism with the opportunity to appeal before higher ranks.
In fact, responding to Khadse’s comments, Fadnavis, currently Maharashtra’s leader of the opposition, told reporters: “It is unfortunate that Nathabhau (Khadse) has resigned. If there was anything against me in his mind, he should have complained to the senior leadership.”
So, he had multiple opportunities to do so too. However, when actions and words didn’t go in unison, the possibility of bias-driven opinions, marked with self-proclaimed pride, could perhaps not be ruled out.
The BJP is a party that is based on an ideology. We have a process for the appointment of the party cadre, where any leader, no matter how influential he is within the party, can make no claims. It is practically impossible to claim the name of the next party president as the party president of the BJP is elected with a democratic process, unlike what is done in a party with only dynastic leaders.
As far as the case of people migrating from the BJP goes, the party has seen various incidents like this earlier. However, those migrating to other parties need to scrutinise the situation of others who have walked this path before them. The examples of Shankersinh Vaghela, Yashwant Sinha, Shatrugan Sinha and Navjot Singh Sidhu are out in the public domain to be analysed.
The one phenomenon which is crystal clear in all such examples, irrespective of the leaders of the political parties, is that, at the end, it comes down only to opportunism.
The writer is Media Head, BJP Maharashtra. The views expressed are personal.