The importance of being Pramod Mahajan
By Dipankar Chakraborty

It is not surprising that someone like Mr Pramod Mahajan who has risen from a humble background to rub shoulders with the likes of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Mr LK Advani may have an equal number of friends and foes both inside the BJP and outside it.

Yet for someone who has unabashedly flaunted his flamboyance and lavish lifestyle - anathema for the RSS - he has managed to carve out a niche for himself in the BJP's scheme of things, either through his unique craftiness or subtle manipulation.

As Mr Mahajan lay in a hospital bed with multiple bullet wounds inflicted by his brother on 22 April, the political fraternity cutting across party lines prayed for his early recovery. His associates in the party and outside it who agreed to talk to The Statesman on condition of anonymity gave an insight into his personality and his "over-ambitious" nature that saw him virtually rise from the ashes like a Sphinx and grow in stature within the BJP in a relatively short span of time.

His "friends" in the BJP said Mr Mahajan's brother-in-law and former deputy chief minister Mr Gopinath Munde enjoys more popularity than him in Mumbai. Mr Pramod Mahajan has never been a mass leader. Not that he lacks the qualities that would have catapulted him to the centre-stage of national politics. Interestingly much before he made his forays into the corridors of power he had been busy making contacts with the captains of the corporate world in Mumbai, something that stood the party in good stead in the early days when it was in desperate need of a steady flow of funds. That is how his clout in the BJP grew steadily. Considered the architect of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, Mr Mahajan is credited with persuading leaders in the party to go for a coalition irrespective of ideological differences with other parties. "He has this unique knack of getting things done which comes from a clear understanding of the dynamics of present day politics," said a senior BJP leader.

"Things became much easier from 1989 for the BJP when its strength in the Lok Sabha increased from 2 to 86 MPs at one go. And Mr Mahajan can be easily given a part of the credit for making that happen," a senior leader having earlier interacted with him said. Apart from his role as a fundraiser in the party he gained acceptability among the top leadership as a strategist. He was instrumental in introducing corporate work culture in the party. Whether it was the use of mobile phones, helicopters for campaigning, use of five star facilities and appointing a team of dedicated individuals for effective execution of the party agenda, for Mr Mahajan these have been essential pre-requisites for a political leader to be effective in his work. That was more than two decades ago.

Although the Sangh opposed Mr Mahajan's style of functioning, the party has by and large "comfortably" adapted itself to his corporate mantra. "He has been part of the RSS since his childhood, but never really showing any keen inclination for their principles of austerity and vow of celibacy. He did not care much for the RSS. And neither did the RSS for him. No wonder the Sangh discarded him mid-way through his stint in the RSS till Mr LK Advani picked him up for other important party work. There has been no looking back for him since," another leader said.

For a person, who has never really cared to nurture any specific support base, power and clout came easily to him. The buzz in party circles is that his apparent distance from the masses went against his election as Mr Advani's successor as party president in December 2005. But according to his associates he has proved that he is well versed with the people's aspirations. In 1993 at the BJP Mumbai Adhiveshan he was the first person to use a mobile phone. Many years later, as a minister in the NDA government, he made mobile phones accessible and affordable to the masses through crucial policy initiatives. All this added to his growing influence in the party and led to the creation of a band of young leaders, groomed to follow his style of functioning.

The 56-year-old BJP general secretary's brilliance in planning the campaign strategy for the party also makes him an important player in party affairs. "Earlier when he was not working out election strategy for the party he used his skills in effective running of the party campaign. It is generally acknowledged that Mr Mahajan had a much better control of the party election campaign in 1999 than the party machinery. All this he did through a team of dedicated functionaries who may have nothing to do with the party. This sets him apart from other leaders," said a BJP leader. Mr Mahajan has committed teams in Delhi and Mumbai. It is said that his office in Mumbai is far better managed than the party's central office in New Delhi.

Mahajan ‘stable'

Twenty four hours after Mr Mahajan underwent a surgical procedure, he continued to remain on ventilatory support and dialysis today, with his condition being still "critical but stable", doctors at Hinduja Hospital here said. "He is stable following the operation carried out by Dr G B Davar and his team yesterday," Dr Anupam Verma, Director (administration), Hinduja Hospital said.