Own worst enemy

 Those closely following the inner dynamics within the BJP have reasons to believe that the resignation of Dalit MP Savitri Bai Phule from BJP is a portent of things that will play out in 2019. Phule said her reason for resigning from the BJP was because the party “is playing divisive politics” and that the divisive politics was the ideology of the RSS, the VHP and the BJP which were hurting the sentiments of Dalits and Muslims by creating a 1992 like situation. She accused the sangh parivar of playing divisive politics and vitiating the communal atmosphere. Phule has been critical of the manner in which the BJP under Modi-Shah duo have strengthened their grip over the government and party to remove political obstacles and rivals. She hit out hard against the temple mania of the BJP saying “the country needs a “constitution, not a temple.” Phule reiterated that the nation’s resources were being looted under the watch of the watchman (Modi). The BJP has deep and serious problems within. On the surface, the party MPs and leaders appear to absolutely obedient to their leader Modi and party chief Shah. The resignation of Phule may not be such a news but it does matter. This has exposed the unrest among many Dalit MPs in the BJP, most of who were pinched by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah from the Bahujan Samaj Party or the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP could be facing some reverse migration and homecoming (or going) of its own. Everything is not hunky dory in the BJP and which is an open secret. A vast majority of MPs and legislators who were pinched by the BJP to swell its electoral numbers, are already making overtures to the parties from where they migrated. There are many legislators in the BJP who are perched strategically with wings spread, and who may fly away at a moment’s notice. It is speculated that even Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, the most fair-weather friend of them all, is making rumbling noises and could return to the NCP soonest. Observers believe that much of all this has to do with the style of functioning of both Modi and Shah. A BJP ideologue has been expressing the concern that the duo have rubbed many in the party, including Devendra Fadnavis and Nitin Gadkari, the wrong way.In addition MPs and ministers of the BJP are extremely unhappy with being corralled by the super powerful Prime Minister’s Office(PMO). In a lighter vein, the absence of scams in the Modi ministry would indicate that the ministers cannot make and decision on financial matters since the PMO decides and the latter makes all the deals. So ministers in the Modi ministry are powerless and exist only in name. That has made many very unhappy. Worse, many who are just building their political career also realise most of the sitting MPs will not get tickets. The Modi-Shah duo will decide and could even handpick politicians from other parties who have winning potential. The only thing that brought them to the BJP was the smell of power. With no understanding of issues by Modi and Shah and even less inclination to listen to better counsel, the disgruntled can now smell defeat. They have nothing to keep them in the BJP. Thus, the BJP has nothing to fear from the Congress but much to fear from its own.