One of the original disciples of RSS guru Golwalkar, Madhya Pradesh BJP strongman and national general secretary Kushabhau Thakre after keeping a low profile for many years is now being projected to succeed L.K. Advani as the next president of the BJP. While he is known as a tireless worker in the State, little is known about him in other parts of the country.

Even the fact of him being the longest-serving party general secreatry may surprise many. Thakre began his career as a Pracharak for the RSS and joined the Jan Sangh when it came into existence in 1952. He subsequently joined the Janata Party in 1977 and the BJP in 1980. He became a party general secretary in 1986 and served as the vice-president between 1990 and 1992 before reverting to his original post.

In the intra-party politics he is seen as a pillar in the Advani-Rajamata Vijeraje Scindia faction at the national level, while he is the guiding spirit behind the Sunderlal Patwa faction at the State level. On August 25, he completes 75 years and the party is planning major celebrations -- a general indication of his rising star. Neeraj Mishra met him in his spartan bachelor accommodation inside the party office in Bhopal to elicit his views on the current state of affairs in the party as well as the country.

There is speculation about you becoming the next president of the BJP?

Who has been speculating? The press. They are well within their rights to waste valuable space in their papers. No decision of the party is made on newspaper reports. And if I want to say anything on the subject I will say it in party fora, I don't talk through the press.

Why this veneer of secrecy? After all yours is a political party and one of the compulsions of being one is to keep an openness about everything.I consider the selection of president of the party as its internal matter and once we decide on who is going to be the president we will project him in public, what has the press got to do till then?

Advani thinks this could be an election year, do you find yourself prepared to lead the party at this juncture?

I have never understood the fetish of the English press for speculation. There are so many interesting things to write about, don't you people indulge in some serious writing at all? Why does everything have to revolve around a chosen few? These days you can't get over Laloo it seems.

Why does the RSS have a fetish for pontification?

This is not pontification. Doesn't the English press ever see the good work being done by RSS? In the recent train accident near Agra it was the RSS volunteers who were at the forefront of rescue work but barring the regional press no one cared to mention it even though the pictures were explicit.

You still haven't answered the original question. Is it going to be you or is the party thinking in terms of a youngster?

You are aware of my methods of working. I am not at all interested in any office. This tendency of some people believing that the party can be served only through some office is dangerous. I had asked Advaniji not to give me any office even last time. At any rate, all decisions in the party are taken on the basis of unanimity and we will definitely come up with a suitable candidate as president, wait till November.

The State party elections are due before that, will someone be pushed through in the name of unanimity?

I am all for a unanimous decision and it has worked well so far so why not persist with it. There are no rivals within the party and we will all sit together and decide on the most suitable candidate because elections are due in November next in the State.

Has the party been able to decide on who are going to be its allies if it's going to make a serious pitch for power at the Centre next time? There are some regional parties which are veering towards us. The BSP, Akali Dal and Haryana Vikas Parishad are already strong allies.

Do you really think BSP is an ally?

We have a coalition government in Uttar Pradesh and they are supporting Surjit Singh Barnala for the vice-presidency. And I seriously believe Mayawati is going to abdicate in favour of Kalyan Singh in September.

All these stories about the party having second thoughts about letting Mayawati continue are bunkum. We have an agreement for one year and I believe both sides will stand by it.

But there will be no dilution of party stand on major issues like minority appeasement?

There is no question about it. Why should we compromise with our basic principles. We are not looking for power with compromises. Let it take another 50 years, we are willing to wait. But one day we will have the India of our dreams.

Digvijay Singh recently opined that Shyama Prasad Mookerjee did not make any contribution to the freedom struggle.

Digvijay is on brink of losing his mental balance. In the 50th year of Independence he symbolises what has gone wrong with the Congress.

Your party has planned an `Amrit Mahotsava' to mark your 75th birthday. Isn't it against your perceived ideals?

I have requested that the celebrations be very low key.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.