Kushabhaus Team Likely To Have Dalit Face

The Kushabhau Thakre-led organisational set-up of the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to reflect a conscious effort at social engineering, or caste-based representation.

Thakre, was yesterday elected unopposed as the BJP president. He succeeds L K Advani who was on an extended term.

The most likely Dalit leader who could be elevated to the rank of general secretary is Sangh Priya Gautam, currently a national secretary. Another secretary, Narendra Modi, and Lok Sabha member Sumitra Mahajan are also likely to be made general secretaries along with KN Govinda-charya and M Venkaiah Naidu.

While Gautams elevation would reflect the partys efforts at giving more representation to the backward classes, Modis would be a reward for his success in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Modi is close to party general secretary KN Govindacharya, who is tipped to be general secretary in charge of organisation. Sumitra Mahajan is to be the partys female face near the top.

 

Some BJP leaders hold that Govindacharya, Gautam and Modi would be able to give a new image to the BJP. Govindacharya has been an ardent advocate of social engineering.

Many party leaders belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have complained, albeit mutedly, in the last few years that they have not been given proper representation in the partys decision-making bodies. The leadership had fulfilled the partys constitutional requirement of giving representation to these sections by appointing SC/ST leaders as party vice-presidents and secretaries.But barring Suraj Bhan, who got a single term, none were appointed general secretaries, he pointed out. Almost all important decisions in the BJP are taken by the party president in consultation with the general secretaries.

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shanta Kumar is likely to be brought to the partys central leadership as a vice-president, a BJP leader said. He is opposed to the current Chief Minister, PK Dhumal. Tribal leader Karia Munda might also be made vice-president if he was not inducted in the Union Cabinet. The same goes for incumbent vice-president Bangaru Laxman.

Laxman had recommended that the government rename the welfare ministry as the ministry for social justice and empowerment. Party leaders are eagerly waiting to see if he is asked to head the ministry.

A surprise inclusion in the list of central office-bearers could be Jagdish Shettigar, a key member of the partys economic cell. At one point the party had considering fielding him for the Lok Sabah from Mangalore in Karnataka. Shettigar is reported to be keen to play an organisational role, but some of his detractors scoff at his image as an intellectual.