Saba Naqvi Bhaumik with A.B.Vajpayee: a closer look at the BJPWith one woman stepping out of the shadows an election has been energised. By campaigning aggressively, Sonia Gandhi has recharged the Congress. Turning it from beleaguered to buoyant. But she has also had an effect on the BJP, making its battle to form a government that much harder.Change has been the new buzzword in the BJP this election. We dealt with this in our issue dated December 29, focussing on the party's sudden moral about-turn, its compromises on issues and opportunistic alliances. This week, we dwell on a more fundamental issue: has the BJP really changed?There has been a nagging suspicion that Atal Bihari Vajpayee's party is not as acceptable as he appears to be. That he is but a mask, a facade. In our cover story we have attempted to lift that veil, taking a sharper look at the inner dynamics of the BJP. Seeking to examine how the party functions, the influence those in the background - like the RSS - still exert and how decisions are arrived at.We question whether a party once obsessed with religion has actually adopted a more responsible stance, capable now of addressing more vital issues like the economy. As Principal Correspondent Saba Naqvi Bhaumik explains, this was not a simple task: "It is a party easy to cover but difficult to understand. They're well structured yet secretive." Elections are also time for hibernating psephologists to appear, armed with tomes of statistics and catch phrases. One such phrase now bandied about is 'vote swing', and in this issue psephologist Professor Yogendra Yadav explains what that means and also the extent of 'vote swing' each party will require to win. In the issue available on February 14, Yadav promises an even more delectable offering in India Today. An opinion poll predicting who will win. Miss it at your own risk.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Feb 9, 1998--- ENDS ---
