BJP: Staging A Comeback in 2014 With Growth-Driven Strategies

"We should take the pledge that 2014 will be BJP's year. We have to stand united. The atmosphere in the country is in the party's favour...If the 20th century was the century of Congress, let the 21st century be the century of BJP," BJP newly-elect President Rajnath Singh said at the BJP national executive in March this year.  Rajnath Singh is right. There could be no better opportune moment than the current times for fortune to favour the BJP. The winds of change are blowing in favour of the BJP and the party needs to craft out a realistic and smart strategy to come back to power in 2014. It needs to bury its differences at the top levels, stand solidly behind a clean, non controversial, strong and dynamic leader, highlight the achievements of BJP ruled states through innovative means in all the media, build a strong connect with the citizens, articulate well thought out and deliberated stance on national and international issues, become more active on the national, international and regional media, and finally like a smart salesman should emphasise its strengths and neutralize its weaknesses.

Undoubtedly, the Congress-led UPA government has blundered astronomically in the second term being widely criticized for corruption, nepotism, poor governance, failing law and order situation in the country and victimizing and harassing supporters of BJP. Praise for the BJP ruled states is coming in from all sides, and from Congress itself. Union Minister Jairam Ramesh raised a few eyebrows when, stepping away from the one-upmanship that has characterized relations between the Centre and Opposition-ruled states, he heaped praise on the BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The outspoken Rural Development Minister applauded the two states for revolutionising agricultural.

BJP ruled states are in the forefront of progress and development having embraced the mantra of good governance. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi came in for special praise at the BJP national executive meeting recently. Modi came in for repeated praise in Rajnath Singh's speech. Gujarat has emerged a leader in power and energy sectors under BJP rule. During 2009-10, Gujarat emerged as the runner-up with a GDP growth rate of 10.53 per cent. The state's GDP at constant prices over the last decade went to Rs 2,52,528 crore.

BJP-led Madhya Pradesh dislodged champion Bihar this March from its numero uno position in terms of highest growth of gross state domestic product. The provisional data released by the Central Statistical Organisation for 2012-13 for states shows Bihar's growth has slowed, slipping from an impressive 13.26 per cent last year to a single digit 9.48 per cent this year as against 10 per cent clocked by MP. In comparison, MP has fared better, adding more than Rs 20,000 crore to its economy during the last one year, and expanding its GDP from Rs 2,01,290 crore last year to Rs 2,21,463 crore this year. MP has been another consistent performer. It grew by 12.47 per cent in 2008-09 .The following year it defied downturn to post a respectable 9.88 per cent. Though it came down to 7.13 per cent the next year, it bounced back to double digit by managing a rate of 11.81 per cent in 2011-12.

Further, just 10 years in existence as a state, Chhattisgarh has left behind Bihar to emerge as the state with the highest economic growth in the last fiscal. The state, carved out from Madhya Pradesh in November 2000 and long known as a hot-bed of left wing extremism, clocked a GDP growth rate of 11.49 per cent in constant prices at Rs 60,080 crore in 2009-10. Chhattisgarh's impressive performance in FY10 follows high growth rate during last few years. The central Indian state had clocked a GDP growth of 17.51 per cent in 2006-07 and 11.71 per cent in 2007-08, before dipping to 6.81 per cent in 2008-09.

However, it’s bad news for Karnataka. Growth is slowing down, and inter-state comparisons of socio-economic development indicate that human development indices are stagnating in Karnataka. The Economic Survey for 2011-12 has revealed that the state fared the worst in terms of growth in 2009-10 with a paltry 3.88 per cent, compared with an all-India average of 7.96 per cent. In contrast, the growth in Uttarakhand was almost three times that of Karnataka — at 11.61 per cent. The slowdown in the state becomes more obvious when one takes into account the 2004-05 to 2009-10 growth of 8.65 per cent, which was close to the national average of 8.63 per cent. Karnataka’s human development index (HDI) ranking, too, remains stationary — it was placed 12th in 1999-2000; the position remained the same in 2007-08.

BJP’s cadre based leadership is a more inclusive and democratic way of running a party and it has some excellent leaders in the front ranks and the second and third ranks. Vajpayeeji will be remembered as a man who built BJP into a national party and together with its members took the BJP’s tally in the Lok Sabha from 3 to over 150 in 30 years time. Vajpayee’s strength as a great organizer of party has earned him admirers in India and abroad. He deftly managed a 25-party coalition, the bus ride to Pakistan before Kargil showed his tremendous courage, blasting the n-bomb despite international sanctions showed his grit and determination, the golden quadrilateral road project and the first non-Congress government to complete a full term not to forget sowing the seeds of a strategic partnership with the US were his other achievements.  Vajpayee’s singular strength was that he could identify and embrace good and sound advice and implement it even if it came from the most remotest or hidden corners of the country.

If Vajpaeeji has now retired from politics it is Advaniji who is guiding the party and serving as a solid rock of sound advice. He is truly Mount Kailash, rock solid, wisened by thousands of years of nature's onslaughts and a firm anchor to the party. Advaniji's chief contribution is to stand up for Hindu honour and dignity, fight for the right and self respect of Hindus, his numerous rath yatras which have helped keep India united during tough times or in other words cultural nationalism. He has firmly proved that though Indians may speak 1,500 odd different languages and dialects and have different customs and traditions, with different faith, religion and castes we are united by culture. To be in the opposition faced by a belligerent ruling party, Advaniji has shown that he is a tough man and made of nerves of steel.  What's more, BJP has a galaxy of leaders who can steer the party in different regions during tough and challenging times. They are Arun Jaitley, the master orator, Sushma Swaraj-the fiery pragmatist, Rajnath Singh, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Murli Manohar Joshi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Prakash Javadekar, Dr Raman Singh, Shivraj Chauhan, and many more. With all things going in its favour, it would indeed be a big disappointment and a surprise if in the 2014 hustings things turned otherwise.