Risk of 'Vajpayee syndrome' : Advani crumbled

Nirendra Dev

Lohpurush L K Advani crumbled in 2005. The veteran warrior of the Hindutva Rath never could get hold of the same position and respect he held. I am not comparing the 'Jinnah secular' stance to Sikh farmers' anguish and the announcement to repeal farm laws, but Modi should know the hurdles better.
I want to drive home a simple point. Only the other day, veteran Naga leader S C Jamir, also a former Governor of Gujarat when Modi was CM, has told this blogger: "I have seen many Prime Ministers, but one good quality with him is, he takes decisions and it is very important".
The 90-year-old Congress veteran has actually seen all the Prime Ministers since Jawaharlal Nehru.
Its November shocker yet again from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Nov 8, 2016, he had announced demonetisation of high value currency. Five years and 10 days after, on Nov 19, circa 2021, PM has announced repealing of contentious three farm laws. 

One would say, Populism is a disease, it suits 'dalals' and brokers: The 'mandi' politics of Punjab and pressure tactics have hit India.
Is the country losing out on reform yet again? 
My initial reaction was -  "Vajpayee-syndrome returns". Others may call it image building. Well in a lighter vein, my wife too has it, so did my mother !
Coming to the more substantial part, Prime Minister Modi sounded 'helpless'. As a Modi admirer, I feel why should he ?
"....Maybe something was lacking in our Tapasya, which is why we could not convince some farmers about the laws," he said in a national broadcast.
The Government sources have tried the usual spin. They say, PM Narendra Modi has chosen 'national interest'.....purpose of the new move 'repealing' the three farm laws is to not allow anti-national elements take advantage of the situation who want to create problems and conflicts between communities.
There were reports of tension on the eve of polls especially in Punjab. The last part is possible, but it does not mean repealing the bills is an answer.
I have said umpteen times that Modi's political detractors want Namo to 'fail' and hence all  these trappings keep coming from time to time!
I will not say he has committed a major mistake or blunder. But the 'repealing' strategy is certainly a case of flip-flop -- something that does not go well with Namo's image.
Namo needs to be careful of his neo-admirers, who would welcome repeal of Farm laws. Because, they want him to fail !
Is Modi's decision also guided by 'statesmanship' of an ex Congressman, Capt Amarinder Singh? His meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and NSA Ajit Doval had raised various issues in public debate, but none perhaps presumed the Prime Minister would repeal the laws.

Those who are rejoicing farmers' win or a case of 'Modi surrender', should be more careful now. In 2014-15, after the Land Acquisition Bill was scuttled, the 'reforms' had gone for a toss. And Modi started falling more and more on the pro-Hindutva agenda!

Elections are due in Punjab along with four other states including UP, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand by Feb-March 2022.
Punjab has been a strong base for the Congress where it has enjoyed power for many years under different Chief Ministers. 

The farmers' stir originated from Punjab with tacit support of Congress leadership and perhaps also the then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
Now things have changed and Amarinder's exit was just not a minor affair.

The main rival for Congress in Punjab has been the Akali Dal and its patriarch Parkash Singh Badal. 

The BJP has always played second fiddle to the Akali Dal but these two parties parted ways last year over the issue of three contentious farm laws. The AAP has also made forays in the state picking up a few parliamentary seats and it has been in the race strongly for the ensuing assembly polls.
In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, out of 13 parliamentary constituencies,  Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party won 4 seats each, Congress won 3, and 2 constituencies elected BJP MPs.The AAP had won from 34 of the total 117 assembly segments in 2017 assembly polls.
In the 2019 general elections, Congress had won 8, Akali Dal 2, BJP 2 and only one seat went to the Aam Aadmi Party.  
Five years back, Modi's decision on note-ban had crippled parties like BSP, whose leadership had a unique style of functioning and 'fund raising' with garlands etc. The question now is, whether the latest 'master stroke' by a master of electoral politics takes away all the thunder off the Congress and the AAP campaign in Punjab.

What will the Badal family do now? Also a question, amid these, what is the next political course of  Rakesh Singh Tikait

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of books,
'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth' )