Dehradun, Aug. 19 -- People often wonder why the Gandhi Parivar has such a stranglehold over the present day Congress party. It is because, without the family, it would cease to exist. Forget about democratic internal functioning, it has lost even a representative character. It is basically not possible for talented leaders to make their mark and rise to leadership positions without the blessings of 'la famiglia'. Its ideology, particularly at the present, is merely an empty grasping at every issue that surfaces without relating it to a basic concept of what is good for the people and the nation.
On the other hand, the BJP, despite its charismatic vote-getting leaders, remains a functional organisation that not just pursues its ideological...