Pramod Mahajan(1949-2006)
"Pramod wore a bullet-proof vest throughout his campaign in Assam for the Assembly elections", recalls BJP spokesman Prakash Javedkar.
Campaign over, Pramod shed the vest, little expecting that his own brother Pravin would fatally shoot him in his own home in Mumbai.
Perhaps Pramod stretched the motto of the bumper sticker outside the door of his 7, Safdurjung House "friends are welcome, relatives only by appointment" a little too far.
"For instance in 2001, when his daughter Poonam got married in Delhi, only three leaders from the BJP were invited prime minister A B Vajpayee, deputy prime minister L K Advani and MoS in the PMO Vijay Goel. Pravin too was not invited. That is Pramod for you," points out a BJP leader.
From the time of Advani's Ramjanmabhoomi rath yatra in 1990 when he moved to centre stage of the Indian politics to the time he pitchforked the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance to power in Maharashtra in 1995, Pramod had steadily grown in stature as a political leader within his party as well as in the country.
And for all flamboyance and fondness for a certain lifestyle his mantra was "if you have it, then flaunt it BJP leaders admit there may not be someone quite like Pramod with his organisational skills.
Though not a mass leader he could win Lok Sabha polls (Mumbai North East) only once in 1996 Pramod was a fine orator and could easily engage the attention of the audience, especially the youth.
He was the architect of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance that not only dislodged the Congress from Maharashtra in 1995 but also carried with it the seeds of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that was to come to power in Delhi three years later.
Ironically, the man who helped midwife the birth of the first last non-Congress alliance at the Centre with his exceptional oragnisational skills remained a loner. Party leaders say he was no team player.
Another striking quality in Mahajan was his fund-raising ability that made him indispensable to the BJP a party in dire need of a steady flow of funds in its early years.
In fact, his networking with the captains of industry ensured the party was never short on funds to power its march to power at the Centre. Not surprisingly, he was often accused of or credited with depending on which side of the political fence one is the corporatisation of politics.
A fine political manager, Mahajans use of hi-tech electioneering to woo voters including use of SMSes, pollsters, taped phone calls from PM Vajpayee turned his election management into such a fine brand that even the party rivals were forced to imitate him.
Its another story that his much-vaunted India Shining campaign became much taunted once the BJP was ousted from power at the Centre in 2004.
IMPORTANCE OF BEING MAHAJAN
Was instrumental in introducing the corporate culture in BJP. His networking with the industry captains ensured steady fund flow for the BJP
A master strategist and a good communicator, he had friends cutting across the party lines. His inter-party links helped the NDA complete its full five-year term
Was BJPs media manager. A journalism degree and stint at RSS mouthpiece Tarun Bharat came in handy
Parikshit Joshi
WHO AFTER HIM IN THE BJP ?
Who will fill the gaping hole left behind by BJP national general secretary Pramod Mahajan in Delhi, Mahajan was an irreplaceable strategist, in Mumbai, he was the perfect conduit, and at 11 Ashoka Road, he was just indispensable. The question is difficult, inevitable and unpleasant.
At the level of national politics, where machinations and scheming are more severe, the party would need everything that Mahajan was. They would need a good strategist, an excellent media manager and someone who could form channels with the corporate world.
Though there were many second generation leaders in the BJP competing with Mahajan, none could match up with his comprehensive skills, his unique understanding of present-day political dynamics, his adeptness at getting things done.
Among the prominent name that could be considered are: Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu and Rajnath Singh. But each has his shortfalls. Both Jaitley and Swaraj are known as good orators, but their abilities as party strategists or drivers of election campaigns are relatively untested. Naidu has been the president of the party in the past, but he lacks Mahajan's media suaveness. Rajnath Singh could do well to consolidate his position as the BJP national president. He, too, however, lacks the corporate sheen of Mahajan.
The best option, thus, left is Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Hindutvas poster boy is an effective communicator; he has good equations with industrialists; he knows how to turn adverse situations into an opportunity; importantly, he is close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. But would he be acceptable to all?
In Maharashtra finding a replacement for Mahajan could be as tough. The strongest contender will be Mahajans own brother-in-law Gopinath Munde. Munde is popular among the masses; he understands well the states issues. Importantly, the BJP state unit has been under his control for years.
