Dubious dealings

Nitin Gadkari and RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagawat at a function in Kolkata, a file photograph. The sustained patronage of Bhagawat that Gadkari enjoys has come into question.-SUSHANTA PATRONOBISH

Nitin Gadkaris alleged financial wrongdoings blunt the BJPs planned offensive against the Congress, but the RSS comes to the rescue of the beleaguered BJP chief for now.

A big upheaval was the buzz in the upper echelons of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)-led Sangh Parivar from the moment revelations on some doubtful investments in Nitin Gadkaris business empire came out in the last week of October. Questions had been raised earlier, too, about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) presidents business dealings and the decisions he had taken as a Minister in the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, but the expose on ghost investors and amazing friendly loans was perceived to be much more serious for a number of reasons.

According to senior Sangh Parivar activists, this perception was essentially based on three factors. First, the charges about Gadkaris wrongdoings had come at a time when the BJP was planning a major offensive against the ruling Congress, including members of the first family of the party, on the issue of corruption, and had, therefore, weakened its political initiative. Second, this had all the potential of accentuating the multilevel power struggles within the BJP. Third, the context had raised questions about the special treatment meted out to Gadkari by RSS chief Mohan Bhagawat and this, in turn, had caused palpable strain in the relations between senior RSS leaders.

What significant sections of the Sangh Parivar found particularly galling was that the revelations seemed to equate Gadkari with Robert Vadra, the controversial son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Vadras meteoric rise in business over the past five years was also self-confessedly aided by a little help from friends. Responding to allegations of financial impropriety in business dealings against him, Gadkari, too, stated that his companies balance sheets were not fit for any bank to lend him money and hence he requested his good friend D.P. Mhaiskar of Ideal Road Builders (IRB) Group to help him out. The request was accepted by the IRB Group and it advanced money to Gadkaris companies. As in the case of the loan advanced to Vadras Sky Light Hospitality by the real estate developer DLF, it is not clear whether Gadkaris benefactors had asked for any security or whether IRB shareholders were aware of the extraordinary advance.

The revelations showed that more than 100 companies had brought in amounts ranging from lakhs to crores for many of Gadkaris business-related activities. What complicated the situation was the high positions held by Gadkaris close associates, including his driver, in the various companies that were part of this business activity. Clearly, the allegations had the effect of blunting the BJPs attack on the Congress.

The fact that the revelations came less than a month before Gadkaris re-election for a second term as party president enhanced their impact. The decision to allow Gadkari to run a second term was opposed by many senior party leaders, including L.K. Advani.

Apart from the inner-party tussles relating to his re-election, there was the multilevel struggle over the choice of a prime ministerial candidate for the next general elections. Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi-based senior leaders such as Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, and Gadkari himself are aspirants to the nomination.

Though it is not clear whom the RSS will favour, there is little doubt that its top brass in Nagpur has a special regard for Gadkari. In fact, the RSS went the extra mile at the BJPs National Executive in Mumbai in May to get Article 21 of the party constitution amended in order to allow its Nagpur man to seek another term when he completes his present tenure in December. For this, it succumbed to Narendra Modis demand seeking the expulsion of RSS pracharak Sanjay Joshi from the National Executive. Modi had made it clear that he would attend the Executive only if Joshi was removed. This was done, and Modi supported the validity of the amendment enabling an active party member to hold the post of president for two three-year terms.

However, according to a senior RSS activist, the revelations on Gadkaris business dealings have put a question mark on the constitutionally approved second term for the party president. The leaders opposed to a second term for Gadkari, including Advani, would certainly up the ante now. You will see many manifestations of this in the days to come, the activist told Frontline. Sure enough, BJP leader Ram Jethmalani called for Gadkaris resignation.

Subsequently, his son Mahesh Jethmalani resigned from the National Executive, saying the issue of Gadkaris financial wrongdoings was affecting the partys image. More importantly, he said the revelations had weakened Gadkaris chances of putting up a good fight in the race for the prime ministerial nomination.

It is in this context that the sustained patronage of Bhagawat that Gadkari enjoys has come into question. Those who apparently have reservations about Bhagawats support to Gadkari include top leaders of the RSS, Suresh Soni and Madan Das Devi. In fact, Sangh Parivar activists told Frontline that in view of the reservations expressed by some RSS leaders, Bhagawat made Dattatreya Hosabale, RSS joint secretary, another point man to manage the relations with the BJP. Earlier, the charge of liaising with the BJP was mainly with Suresh Soni.

By all indications, these issues were discussed at the RSS national conclave held in Chennai in early November. The formal view of the conclave, expressed by senior leader Suresh Joshi, specifically on the charges against Gadkari, was as follows: If the allegations are true, then the accused person should be punished. This is the stance of the Sangh on charges of corruption against anybody, including Gadkari. But Suresh Joshi also added that one cannot pronounce anybody guilty on the basis of allegations by the media.

All these developments do raise a question over Gadkaris second term as party chief. However, there are indications that the RSS will in no way accede to the demands of those seeking Gadkaris removal before the conclusion of his term.

Some sections of the Sangh Parivar aver that there are two reasons for this. First, advisers of the RSS, such as S. Gurumurthy, believe that despite the allegations levelled against him, Gadkaris management of his financial affairs has been such that nothing can be proved against him legally. Secondly, sections of the RSS, too, had benefited from Gadkaris business operations and this is known to the top brass. This found reflection in the meeting of the core group of the BJPs leadership on November 6 in New Delhi.

Following a two-hour-long presentation by Gurumurthy, the core group asserted that Gadkari had not done anything wrong, legally or morally.

While this support by the RSS could help Gadkari for the time being, there is little doubt that the affairs in the Sangh Parivar, and especially the BJP, will continue to be tumultuous for a considerable period of time. A signal of this was visible in the boycott of the core group meeting by Advani, who has been opposed to the RSS micromanaging the BJPs affairs, at least in the past five years.