Friday, March, 29,2024

Latest News

There has been a considerable Om Birla impact on CP’s political grooming, says Dr Chandra

Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat24-Vision of New India and First India; CMD First India News, lays bare the behind the curtain equations that led to GS Shekhawat being out of race for state chief, how CP Joshi has learnt to be a no nonsense worker, working behind the curtains on the mandate and how his ‘political upbringing’ happened in the offices of the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Excerpts… (Part II)

  • But this development beckons another main question. Did Delhi mull upon Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s name for State President?
    Dr Jagdeesh Chandra: It definitely happened. A fortnight back we had carried this news as well that his name is being considered with all seriousness. And I felt that it was so because Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has an old dream to become state president of BJP. We had carried the news and perhaps Madam saw this. It is rightly said that everyone in politics have equations, and in fact madam had given the ticket to Shekhawat after the patron of Shri Kshatriya Yuvak Sangh took him to meet Raje and seek the MP ticket from Jodhpur. Raje said that Shekhawat would have base in Shekhawati as Jodhpur region is dominated by Bhatis and Rathore Rajputs. But Rolsabsar gave his personal guarantee to get good result. So both Bhagwan Singh and Madam Raje kept their promise and Shekhawat won the election. Anyhow, equations keep changing with time in politics. What happened that day was that Madam took a stand that Shekhawat will not become state president and suddenly the appointment got stalled. For 66 days this game went on and this was a time when Raje was sitting CM. No one can dictate terms to Modi and Shah today, but that was a different situation and after 66 days, Madan Lal Saini became party president in Rajasthan. But I consider this to be a blessing in disguise as it benefitted Shekhawat in his political career because today Shekhawat is a potential CM candidate. So he was a candidate for state chief and had he become he may have felt elated too.
  • It is said that Rajasthan BJP is divided into various groups. So is CP Joshi the consensus choice as state president?
    Almost 99% it is so. This can be gathered from the fact that when he was appointed, it felt as if a chief minister has been appointed. I was surprised. I even told the reporters to check if he has been named as CM nominee? I was told it was not so. The editor told me that he has been appointed as state president only. I was surprised at the welcome accorded to him. Such was the eagerness to meet him, every central minister wanted to meet him, madam too was eager to him Joshi. All leaders like Rathore or be it Om Birla’s supporters, everyone was too eager to meet the new state chief and extend congratulations. So I was confused as to how come he is getting this overwhelming support? That is when I found out that since its election year, hence he is getting all the support. It was one of a kind development. So he is a consensus choice.
  • Do you think CP Joshi is high command’s personal choice?
    100 percent! Not just high command, I would say a consultation must have happened with Amit Shah regarding this, but he is the personal choice of Narendra Modi. I have heard that the day his name was announced for state chief, twelve hours prior to that PM met Joshi and within an hour of the announcement, he got an appointment with Modi, so he went and met Modi. Not many things stay hidden in politics. He is the personal choice of prime minister which means he will have a say in ticket distribution.
  • But if the double engine government is formed in Rajasthan, will there be political and administrative coordination between union and state government?
    Definitely. If Ashok Gehlot’s government does not get repeated and BJP comes to power, then two major changes will occur in Rajasthan. The behaviour and habit of MLAs will get changed and they will become disciplined. No legislator will trouble bureaucracy in the field or create nuisance. As of now there are so many complaints against MLAs and fact is that Ashok Gehlot’s real challenge are his MLAs. If tickets of eighty percent legislators is cut, then Ashok Gehlot is an extremely strong contender for comeback. The compulsion that befell Gehlot camp due to Pilot camp, as a result of which Gehlot camp had to look the other way on MLAs’ activities, will come to an end. Political interference in administration will end immediately. Secondly the role of PMO will increase just like in Gujarat. All major projects will be discussed with PMO. Officials from Rajasthan will go there or officials may come here, as part of the natural movement of administration in double engine government. The stalled schemes and projects of the government will be given a go. The GST amount has been stalled that will, obviously, be released. So if the double engine government gets formed, then all this and more will happen. So basically, there will be some cleaning in the field as regards the behaviour of MLAs and the coordination between CMO and PMO will increase and get better.
  • What has been the social and political background of the ‘dark horse’ of Rajasthan BJP — CP Joshi?
    He has been a grassroot worker. A son of the soil. He was born in a village in Chittorgarh, and it is seen that those who have reached heights in politics have come from the simple backgrounds. He studied in Chittor itself and in his college days, he reached up to the Vice presidency in NSUI. Later people convinced him that this was not his party and thus he entered BJP and Mukesh Dadhich, who is currently vice president, brought him to Yuva Morcha and Vidhyarthi Parishad. In 2010 he became district president and in 2013 assembly election, during his tenure, all five seats in Chittor fell in BJP’s kitty. So a person gets credit and then person’s luck also plays a role and in 2014 he became a MP and won by a good margin. Then he became MP again in 2019 and as MP he used to go to Lok Sabha and started meeting the Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla, who is also known as the pandit of politics. SO there he started gathering ‘gyan’ and learnt a lot. A lot many people told me that whenever they went to meet Birla, CP Joshi would always be there in the room. When he was appointed as state chief, I spoke to Birla ji about it and he said that he is away from all the politics. Obviously, as Lok Sabha Speaker his conduct has to be apolitical. But there is no denying the fact that Joshi must have learnt a lot from Birla. So all in all Joshi is a simple man who moved ahead with the support of friends and hard work and ultimately Modi-Shah finally noticed him and he was uplifted.
  • 2023 assembly election is a major challenge for BJP. What role do you see CP Joshi playing in this election?
    CP Joshi does not fit in the public perception of a burly warrior who rides out to battle on his steed. Rather Joshi is one who directs such warriors and facilitates them to win the battle. He believes in collective leadership and thus he is not the ‘yoddha’ who fights using a sword but one who believes in collective leadership.
  • Joshi is known to be a silent worker who goes about doing the job for the party. But when he recently met Amit Shah, there was a certain confidence in him. How do you see that?
    This is the confidence and self respect of a worker. Secondly, he met Amit Shah and in turn Amit Shah smiled. There are two rare occurrences in this nation: first is Narendra Modi meeting someone with a smile and second is Amit Shah meeting someone with a smile. I saw the picture and realised Amit Shah is smiling more than Joshi, so Joshi’s life is on the seventh heaven, in today’s situation. Hence his body language was also such due to confidence and frankly, I quiet liked that picture.
  • What was the reason for the immense crowd on the swearing in of CP Joshi? Was it a display of disgruntlement of senior leaders against Satish Poonia, or was it CP Joshi’s popularity?
    I think all aspects are touched in this issue. But perhaps the biggest of them was that elections are round the corner and thus the workers wanted to show their face to the party chief. There re 5-7 candidates always eyeing any given seat. These people, if they get a hundred people with them to mark their presence and hope that the new president notices, then a lot of people get assembled. These leaders also know that no one can say for sure whose final word will be considered for ticket distribution hence they reach to please all relevant. You were right in saying that people had resentment towards Poonia and obviously Joshi is popular hence the crowd. So overall it was a combination was various factors. Also, I will add one more thing. A lot of people may have thought on these lines, and perhaps may have been thinking still, that perhaps he too may become Chief Minister one day. I am also one of those who think so. Hence when the crowd assembled, there were people who thought that he is the potential CM candidate.
  • CP Joshi appeared sensitive towards not getting slogans raised for him or getting his posters installed and appears to be, generally, extra cautious. Why do you think that is?
    Its reason is that his political upbringing has been in Lok Sabha Speaker’s office. Om Birla stays away from publicity and he always ensures that his name is not taken anywhere. He does not have that attraction for publicity. Perhaps Joshi may have picked this habit from some place else as well, but main contributor in this is Om Birla since he was under Birla’s tutelage. So he has realised that it is better to stay behind the curtains. As far as putting up posters are concerned, look at Satish Poonia and the type of posters that were put up. So Joshi said he doesnt want that limelight. His political wisdom came forth when he asked not to put up faces of leaders rather highlight the union government’s scheme on posters and the beneficiaries of these schemes along with PM. So he has understood one thing in his life that he has reached where he has in life due to Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda and so he should stay on that one line and he does not want to sway away from it. So that’s the point with him.
  • But the official posters at BJP office in Jaipur have CP Joshi and Vasundhara Raje. What does this mean?
    This means that it is an attempt to hand back the alleged lost honour of Vasundhara Raje. She is also being made to realise that she is with one with the high command and that she has all the honour and her seniority is respected. This is also move to make her understand to stay with the main stream of the party and to walk hand in hand with the new president and to bless him as a senior leader. This is party’s strategic move which may have hurt several local leaders. But this is the high command’s decision. So this is a positive step to take everyone along.

During the show #JCon2023Poll trended top All-India on Twitter

  Share on

Related News