Joshi’s subtle dig: Normally, one man, many posts not happy situation

In an exclusive interview to The Indian Express, Joshi said that although the RSS did not comment on matters like one man, one post, the guiding principle of the Sangh was that ‘‘the party should be above individualism.’’

‘‘You can see that all the photographs of leaders have been removed (from hoardings outside the party office which carried pictures of Vajpayee, Advani and Venkaiah Naidu),’’ he added. This, he said, was a break from the past.

Joshi admitted he had “not been consulted” about Advani’s appointment as party president. “No, I was not here,” he said. “I was in Allahabad and was told that a meeting had taken place where it was felt that Advaniji should take over. I said that if that is everyone’s considered decision, I go along with it. I am a disciplined soldier of the party. Immediately, I called up Advaniji to congratulate him.”

Was it not odd for the party to go back to Advani when so much had been made of the emergence a new generation of leaders? ‘‘The BJP has developed a new generation of leaders. The Sangh is giving more responsibility to the younger generation. But this is a time when one had to deal with organisational problems on the one hand, parliamentary activity on the other, and keep an eye on the coming elections next year. A highly mature person is required in the coming two years.” But he added, ‘‘In 2007, some new face can come.”

Was his name being considered for party presidentship by the RSS? Joshi said: ‘‘I don’t know.”

His advice to Advani?

‘‘Advaniji is a seasoned leader. I would suggest four things. One, to reduce groupism in the party. Two, states ruled by the BJP should deliver. Three, the ideology of the party should be projected which takes into account the basics as well as modern challenges; and four, bring values back to public life.”

Asked if the party’s electoral defeats in both the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra elections was due to its projection as a party of “banias and businessmen,” Joshi conceded that the BJP had, in its campaign, this year come across as a ‘‘party for the higher strata of society, there is no doubt about that.’’

The major task before the party, the BJP leader said, was ‘‘to broaden its social base so that the downtrodden and the oppressed consider the BJP as their messiah.’’ This concept was part of Hindutva, and quoting Vivekananda, he said that unless the oppressed people were “given their due”, India would face very serious tensions. “I also visualise the rise of India from these hutments,” Joshi said.

Joshi differed from Advani’s formulation that governance had to be delinked from ideology. “This idea will not create any idealism. Without ideology, you cannot create idealism.” If governance was devoid of ideology, then ‘‘a good bureaucrat can function very well, why have political parties?”

But ideology was not a static concept, Joshi said. ‘‘The India of 2004 is not the India of 1947 or of 1990…The basic Indian philosophy has the necessary strength to give solutions. Even Gandhism has the basic strength to give you solutions in the contemporary world. Today Swadeshi does not mean going back to the charkha, it means meeting the challenges of globalisation.”

He ruled out another Hindu party which leaders of the VHP have been threatening to launch. ‘‘There is no such proposal, to my knowledge in the RSS parivar. There may be suggestions by some individuals.”