The BJP's official announcement that next Lok Sabha election will be fought under the leadership of LK Advani has been received well by party workers throughout the country. Telephonic conversations with leaders and workers from more than half-a-dozen States gave me the opportunity to sense the elated mood of the party as a whole. The media, too, has appreciated this development in editorials. I have gone through scores of newspapers. It looks like they were waiting for this obvious thing to happen.

Their analyses were enthusiastic in tenor. For example, the editorial in The Hindu which can't be termed friendly to Advani or the BJP. The daily is quite sympathetic to CPM, that too in a pronounced way. The heading of editorial tells the readers about 'Significant Move on the Political Chess Board'. Only one comment would reveal its appreciation: "He might be all of 80-years-old -- five years older than the Congress incumbent -- but he is fit octogenarian with plenty of fight in him."

The editorial ended with a quote from CPM general secretary Prakash Karat who wrote in 1992 when Advani was the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha: "It would be costly if not fatal for the BJP's political opponents to underestimate the strategy, tactics and mobilisation capacities of the shadow Prime Minister."

The editorial comments of English and Hindi dailies as well as vernacular press convinced me that Advani is the man India is waiting for. Dissatisfaction and confusion is reigning in polity. Rising prices, especially of foodgrains, vegetables, milk, diesel, petrol and transport, have made the life of the common man difficult. Problems of internal security have multiplied. Foreign affairs have been mismanaged with glaring holes. To cap it all, instability has prevailed from day one of the UPA Government when Buddhadeb Bhattacharya boasted that "the Government will have to sit down when we say sit down and stand up when we ask it to stand up." Karat keeps threatening the Government with support withdrawal on a weekly basis. All this provides a political backdrop to an emerging scenario wherein India awaits Advani.

The people remember the days of the NDA regime when they enjoyed absolute stability at the Centre and there was no disquiet on the price front. Not a single dharna or strike was heard of during the six years of NDA regime. Even property prices were affordable. The stature of India had gone up in the eyes of the world community. All-round development, including infrastructure creation, culminated to a point when the country registered a GDP growth rate of 8.5 per cent. Intermittently, it even crossed nine per cent at some point of time and this is the mark where even after four years of UPA regime, the GDP growth of the economy is stuck.

At this particular point, Advani is seen as a hope for the people adding another chapter to India becoming a great world power. Advani himself is a highly evolved leader, from karyakarta to pracharak; metropolitan member to the chairman of the Council; National Working Committee of Bharatiya Jana Sangh member to its national president in 1973; general secretary of the BJP to five times president of the party, not to mention Information and Broadcasting Minister in Morarji Government.

Though he has never hankered for any position, when it was bestowed on him he did full justice to it. He has never fallen back for positional greatness.

Till the mid-1980s, he was not a mass leader but during his Somnath to Ayodhya yatra he became one. This yatra changed the chemistry of Indian politics. He multiplied the support base of the party which was stagnating at six to eight per cent to a phenomenal 20-25 per cent. The BJP's tally in the Lok Sabha increased from two to 182 that is an increase of 9000 per cent which led to the magical performance of BJP dethroning the Congress from being the leading political force to second position.

He, too, faced unparalleled crisis in his political career. The first big one was implicating him in the hawala cases engineered by then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. Advani's response was quick. Without losing any time he announced his resignation from the Lok Sabha and vowed that he would not enter the Lok Sabha until exonerated.

He was exonerated by Delhi High Court and came out honourably. The second crisis came during his Pakistan visit. He handled the issue patiently; he neither gave up nor retracted. All through the crisis, he remained composed and dignified. The credit must also be given to the RSS and the pariwar for deeper understanding of issues involving national interest. Now a fighting fit Advani is ready to face the challenges ahead.

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, December 16, 2007