Anil Antony has been tutored not to make Nalin Kohli his role model :::::: What was right for S C Jamir may not be right for the BJP

 What was right for S C Jamir may not be right for the BJP

Anil Antony has been tutored not to make Nalin Kohli his role model

New Delhi 

Veteran S C Jamir had the image of a fortune maker. There are a host Nagaland Congress leaders, former ministers and other kinds of stalwarts who owe a lot to Jamir. At times, the doyen of Nagaland politics followed his instinct and also went largely by personal liking and disliking and promoted individuals.

Out of 'town chchokras' - as the local buzz words used to be - he made big leaders by making them ministers and 'Whos Who' of Nagaland political graph. 

Changkong Chang, Yokten Konyak, Neiba Ndang, Kewephape Therie and Wangyuh Konyak- all made their career with the active support and blessings from the veteran Jamir.

Maestro : S C Jamir 

Some fell from his grace and the political journey did not go much despite the potential.In this category - we can recall Shikiho Sema, former pradesh Congress chief, a member of Parliament in the 9th Lok Sabha and who later became Power and Higher Technical Education Minister under Jamir.

But why this comparison with the BJP and why naming some of these past masters - but the lucky ones too ?

The BJP has been a latecomer into Nagaland politics and Pius Lotha should get the due creditfor taking the risk. But that is the way politics move especially in the saffron party.Pius may not be known to many present day's saffron party stalwarts.

'Nagaland Page' Link

But comparing with Jamir days is vital as the BJP especially after 2014 or so did help some or at least a few saffron party leaders make their fate.

However, the issue remains - why the organisational growth of the Lotus outfit has never been exceptional or even fairly satisfactory.

Two people can be credited and possibly discredited for this. Neiphiu Rio and Ram Madhav.

Since 2018 when BJP won 12 seats for the first time surprising many out of mere 20 seats it contested, the strategists in the saffron party both at the state and central levels were happy to play second fiddle to the NDPP.

Here lies Rio's credit and good luck. He found a friend and a great well wisher in Ram Madhav.

But when J P Nadda became national president, Ram Madhav was shown the door in the most unceremonious style.

The BJP in Nagaland by then had lost its tempo and left the space 'empty' for other kinds of politics -- which Rio and Chingwang Konyak had developed expertise. 

But this does not go well with the BJP brand of politics.Individuals became important and the organisation did not make much sense.

For sometime, the organisational works of a party like BJP remained confined to Twitter jokes.

It continued pretty long. The Ram Madhav-inflicted work culture for the BJP continued in Nagaland at a later stage also.B L Santhosh is the man who had replaced Ram Madhav. But somehow the status quo continuedfor long. Then came Himanta Biswa Sarma's magical spell and he had all clues and keys to every solution an NDPP leadership desired. So the game went on and the BJP again contested only20 seats. 

Worse, two performing BJP leaders Dr A Sukhato and Kevechutso Doulo were made sacrificial goats despite efforts by Y Patton to thwart the game. 

Irony has come back. None other than K G Kenye (who represents Chizami which was fought by Doulho in 2018) is today making a mild noise against the Modi government. 

In the 2023 polls, the BJP again managed 12 seats but this time Rio-led NDPP put out a better performance.Circumstances gave Chingwang Konyak's outfit some spare tyres -- in the form of LJP (Ram Vilas),NCP and NPP.Put together these three parties in public gaze appeared 'NDPP-B team'. And there were smiles and bouquets. Some of them still want to be ministers.

So when the 2024 Lok Sabha mandate came - Rio had two types of problems. One -- to counter and confront BJP high command - why his candidate lost.And the second pressure was - Should he do some reshuffle. Here comes the 'spare tyres'.

But in the entire process, the BJP's organisational growth in Nagaland went out of mind. And if the June 4 results (for Lok Sabha polls) left any message for Naga legislators - it was an utter confusion.

The BJP in Nagaland has also mishandled the church vis-a-vis the much crucial Christian sentiment.

Some MLAs are still confused. Is the NDPP also confused? Is Narendra Modi 'really weak and vulnerable' that he will look the other way if BJP is thrown out of the ministry in Kohima?

What's the more 'safe' bargain?

Blogger in rural Nagaland 

There are other pressures. One is time; and it is related to patience. The mandate 2024 threw up mixed signals. Are the people so displeased that even an NDPP booth-worker did not vote for his party candidate? 

Or the entire show is a good drama enacted with some elements of risk?

The Naga peace talks is now a hanging fire itself. The 'Manipur mess' has also made things difficult for the Union Home Ministry. 

The old war horse Jamir got away with his brand of politics. It did not hamper him much thought he might have regretted later some of his moves in 1998 like allocation of the Home portfolio to Neiphiu Rio. 

But for a party like BJP - that banks on ideology and some basic principles - helping individuals does not help much.

On the other hand, it does not help the individuals either. 

Every 12 to 15 years - at the national level - the BJP had changed its list of 'potential future leaders'.

In 1998 - everyone would bet on leaders such as Uma Bharti, Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar.

The 'reflected sun shine' did not last long on them.By 2012-13, the BJP projected Arun Jaitley, Anurag Thakur, Smriti Irani and a few others.

Now in circa 2024 -- all these leaders are like forgotten stars. Ms Irani lost in Amethi and the likes of Ananth Kumar, Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj are dead.

The BJP is now awaiting a new national president and his team. The change of guards would also have an impact in Nagaland and other northeastern states. 

Anil Antony is new in-charge for Nagaland. I am sure, he has been tutored well that Nalin Kohli should not be his role model -- whether Mr Chingwang Konyak likes it or not.

ends