How the BJP failed Advani

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It took almost five years and a demoralizing electoral defeat for the Bharatiya Janata Party to realize the essence of what L.K.Advani has been emphasizing at every forum since the controversial Pakistan trip. The visuals of rabid karsevaks moronically climbing the Babri dome and demolishing the historic structure do not instil confidence in voters in a diverse India. They have seen what the insane Taliban did to the Bamiyan Buddha. Ram and religion can nudge your vote percentage to a bankable 25 but for the giant leap forward, you need a carefully crafted tolerant face, a face as crisis-absorbent and consensus-reliant as that of Atal Behari Vajpayee. Advani knew that this was the only path available to the BJP but faced with unjustified criticism by lesser and intellectually deficient colleagues in his own party and the Sangh Parivar's fanatic outfits, he avoided taking the plunge. The party needed to....