Commentators are having a field day running down the BJP as it fights a messy succession battle, but in which organisation is the succession smooth? If the Congress party did not have the Indira Gandhi family, would it be smooth there — and in the presence of the Gandhis, can it be said that the party has any semblance of democracy? For several years,
ICICI Bank was seen as the best company when it came to succession planning, but once a successor to KV Kamath was appointed, several of the senior members of the team left. This is but natural as every leader has to have his or her own team. And everyone has the right to stake a claim for the top job.
If, however, the battle continues for too long, the BJP will have to pay a heavy price. Fortunately for the party, the general elections took place just a short while ago, so the party has a lot of time to rebuild itself. The challenge is to ensure the new leadership is acceptable to the party’s rank and file.
Sudip Dutta, Gurgaon
