The Politics Of Defection
India Today|September 02, 2019

The RSS tries to reconcile the imperatives of Chanakyaniti with its moral reservations over defections

Uday Mahurkar
The Politics Of Defection

Back in 1981, when a BJP municipal councillor defected to the Congress and brought down the party numbers in the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, veteran BJP leader, the late Chiman Shukla, went on a fast that lasted 19 days. So intense was the moral pressure that the councillor left the Congress and went into political exile.

Later, in 1995, when BJP leader Shankarsinh Vaghela and 47 of the 122 Gujarat BJP MLAs threatened to break the party in an act of rebellion against the then chief minister Keshubhai Patel and then state BJP organisation secretary and now prime minister Narendra Modi, it evoked horror within the BJP leadership as well as the rank and file.

In the recent past, however, the saffron party has shed all inhibitions in embracing rebels from other parties. Just last week, 10 MLAs of the Sikkim Democratic Front joined the BJP. Earlier, in September and October 2016, almost the entire Congress legislature leadership in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur had crossed over to the BJP. As a result, the current BJP governments in both states largely comprise those who were originally from the Congress and other parties, including Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his Manipur counterpart Biren Singh.

The Northeast’s saffron turn came when disillusioned Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma became rebelin-chief for the BJP on August 29, 2015. Ever since, Sarma, along with BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, has been instrumental in establishing the BJP footprint in the Northeast by using his significant contacts and goodwill to lure legislators from the Congress and other regional parties into joining the BJP.

This story is from the September 02, 2019 edition of India Today.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 02, 2019 edition of India Today.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM INDIA TODAYView All
Falling Back On Ram
India Today

Falling Back On Ram

It’s not new from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by ‘Ram bhakt’ Arvind Kejriwal, but worth noting because god is in the details. It was Ram Navami on April 17.

time-read
2 mins  |
May 06, 2024
Congress 'EQ' Vs BJP ‘IQ'
India Today

Congress 'EQ' Vs BJP ‘IQ'

Team Modi Is Riding On Its Assembly Poll Momentum, But The Congress's Clever Candidate Mix May Prevent A Washout

time-read
5 mins  |
May 06, 2024
The Macallan M 2023 debuts in India
India Today

The Macallan M 2023 debuts in India

Standing as a pinnacle of exclusivity, The Macallan M 2023 graces the shores of India with limited 10 handpicked bottles for whisky aficionados

time-read
1 min  |
May 06, 2024
Give it up for the science bros
India Today

Give it up for the science bros

They've got brains, brawn and billions in the bank. A new breed of wellness guru is doing for men what Gwyneth Paltrow did for women.

time-read
10 mins  |
May 06, 2024
LIVING BY THE RULES
India Today

LIVING BY THE RULES

Chetan Bhagat returns to non-fiction with his new book-11 Rules for Life

time-read
1 min  |
May 06, 2024
The Mysterious City
India Today

The Mysterious City

Anuradha Kumar's The Kidnapping of Mark Twain paints an intriguing portrait of Bombay around the time of the American writer's visit

time-read
2 mins  |
May 06, 2024
GOWDA KNOWS
India Today

GOWDA KNOWS

Hot Stage, the third book in Anita Nair's Inspector Gowda mystery series, is here

time-read
2 mins  |
May 06, 2024
WITH OUR OWN DESI SLEUTHS
India Today

WITH OUR OWN DESI SLEUTHS

Indian detective fiction gets its due in this massive, two-volume compilation from Hachette

time-read
2 mins  |
May 06, 2024
PRIVATE PARADISE
India Today

PRIVATE PARADISE

Your home may well be your haven, but here are easy ways to make it your very own spa-dom.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 06, 2024
Subversive IN SUBURBIA
India Today

Subversive IN SUBURBIA

A MONTH-LONG SHOW AT ART AND CHARLIE, MUMBAI, SHOWCASING THE WORKS OF POONAM JAIN AND YOGESH BARVE POSES SEVERAL QUESTIONS TO THE VIEWER

time-read
2 mins  |
May 06, 2024