The Manufactured Succession Debate: A Counter to Rajdeep Sardesai’s Wishful Thinking
In recent political commentary, Rajdeep Sardesai attempted to paint a picture of an alleged power struggle within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) involving Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Using RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks on retirement age as the basis, Sardesai framed it as a “trial balloon” for succession talks. However, a closer look reveals that this so-called BJP succession debate is less about facts and more about wishful thinking. This article will dissect the claims, highlight the reality of the BJP’s leadership structure, and show why such narratives fail to match political ground realities. BJP: A Cadre-Based Party, Not a Political Dynasty The BJP has consistently operated as a cadre-based party with structured and merit-driven leadership transitions. Unlike dynastic parties such as the Congress—where leadership is inherited by family members—the BJP follows internal democratic mechanisms for electing pr...