Author and journalist Saba Naqvi in her latest book, Shades of Saffron: From Vajpayee to Modi, refers to the “push and pull” in the relationship between former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. When asked whether the fight between the duo was also at a personal level, she said, “I think at one point it was. At the same time both, Vajpayee and Advani, are also men who had levels of decency and stature. ”

In her book, Naqvi refers to an incident where Vajpayee takes the stage to announce, “Na tired, na retired. Lekin ab Advaniji ke netritva mein vijay ki aur prasthan kijiye (Neither tired, nor retired. But under the leadership of Advaniji, march towards victory.)”

Vajpayee didn’t declare Advani as his political successor, the one who would carry forward his legacy. In 2009, when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fought the general elections under the leadership of Advani, it lost the polls. Five years later, when the BJP fought and trampled the Opposition parties in the general elections, it was under the leadership of Narendra Modi. In the process, the BJP veteran, Advani was sidelined.

When asked whether the former PM is responsible for whatever Advani went through in the past few years, Naqvi told Newslaundry, “Vajpayee could have been a little more generous to Advani.”

Naqvi has tracked the saffron party for almost two decades and seen its politics from the close quarters. According to her, unlike the present regime, where the power is centralised in two hands — PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah — in the Vajpayee-Advani era, the BJP was way more democratic.

“In the old BJP, which was in alliance with other parties, there were many centres of power. Vajpayee was a centre of power; Advani was a centre of power. And they often undermined each other…,” Naqvi told Newslaundry.

According to Naqvi, even though only PM Modi and BJP chief Shah yield power these days, there are many more people who are beneficiaries of power, including those from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).  “The kind of reach and penetration that they [RSS] have got in the Modi time was unthought of in the Vajpayee time,” she said.

Referring to the BJP’s strategy to reap political benefits by evoking hyper-nationalism, Naqvi in her book has mentioned developments related to Pokhran 2 and Kargil War. In 1998, Vajpayee had refused to take credit for the successful Pokhran 2 [nuclear missile test]. However, in the run-up for the 1999 general election, his party used the theme of hyper-nationalism [by using Kargil War] as an electoral plank to garner votes.

Listen to Naqvi to know more about the different shades of the saffron party, including the ultimate Delhiwallah Arun Jaitley, Pramod Mahajan and the ideological war between Govindacharya and Vajpayee. Also, listen to why she chose not to write about the present BJP chief Shah.