BENGALURU: Senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar's demise has left a huge void in the state unit of the party compelling it to look towards measures to find its balance in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls that are barely months away. While finding another person to fill up Ananth Kumar's shoes may not be possible at such a short time, picking another equally assertive, strongly rooted, approachable leader who is acceptable to the RSS and commands the respect of cadres as well seems to be the way forward for the saffron party.
Party insiders are not ruling out the possibility that this might, after all, be the perfect opportunity to shift National Organising Secretary BL Santhosh from his organisational responsibilities to a political one. "Not just the BJP but each wing of the Sangh work only within the framework of each appointment. No person can hold two posts. Santhosh is now in an organisational role and he has no political responsibilities. That will be the status quo until he is shifted out of his role to a new one," said a BJP leader from Karnataka.
After an intense cold war followed by fireworks of dissenting opinions between then State organising secretary BL Santhosh and BS Yeddyurappa, the former was elevated to the post of National Joint Organising secretary and given responsibilities of six states including Karnataka.
While the RSS deputed Arun Kumar as organising general secretary for Karnataka in 2016, party leaders believe he may not have the stature to take on the high and mighty in the state BJP as effectively as a BL Santhosh. "I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the party considering him (Santhosh) for the role. Even Ananth Kumar was loaned to the BJP by the RSS. We have seen RSS ideologues take on a political role even in Chattisgarh," said another senior legislator of the BJP.
Leaders of the BJP point out that RSS-deputed office bearers act as conscience-keepers of the BJP and keep political egos at bay. The role of such office bearers is to ensure that the core ideology of the party is not lost in the mayhem of political gains and losses.
Despite being a full-time politician, Ananth Kumar who hailed from the RSS ensured checks and balances in party decisions in each of the core-committee meetings, according to party leaders. His greatest role was to ensure that decisions are not taken unilaterally. For someone who has made no secret of his difference of opinions, Santhosh - party insiders feel - will be able to ensure the same balance.
Some leaders within the party, however, are skeptical. "What set Ananth Kumar apart from many others was his approachability. Santhosh is not easily accessible. This makes it difficult for leaders to raise their concerns through him. But he could very well be staying away from politics since it is not his designated role now. If shifted out of his current role, his approach maybe different," a senior leader of state BJP said.