Harish Palaniappan's

If you thought this is about some new year party and digital speakers, do excuse me.

The BJP
Its about the Bharithiya Janata party's speakers... BJP, a political organization in India.

Of all politicians in India, I have always admired two people in the BJP, Venkiah Naidu, and Pramod Mahajan, for their clean handling of the Press. But from today, I think I would include Advani to my favorites.

Both Venkiah Naidu and Pramod Mahajan make great speakers and favorites for the Press when it comes to asking for comments on actions by the BJP. Another favorite for the press is LK Advani. But I have never heard much of Advani on TV until today.

Its not the politics that inspires. Its the way they handle those tough and rough questions with one-line descriptive answers...sometimes teasers.

Advani's Press Meet on New year eve 2005
No, we are not going to discuss political news here. This press meet and the things that happened was interesting.

Today, the Bharatiya janatha party moved in for a shift of reigns. Deciding to give the control of the organization to younger people Atal behari vajpayee, the former prime minister of India, a couple of years back told that he is giving up politics.. and now the second top man in the party, LK.Advani does a similar act by resigning his party president post.

Both Vajpayee and Advani continue to remain in the party as working politicians... While Advani will possibly still be the leader of the Opposition in parliament.

For the occassion the day chosen was today Dec31 2005, probably chosen with an eye to usher in new energy into BJP as new year 2006 dawns. On the Agenda, Advani handles a press meet where he states his resignation as the BJP president post, congratulates the new president Rajnath singh, and then, here we are.. he takes up questions. Questions.. on him, the party, his reasons behind the decision to resign, etc.,

In the press meet, Advani had a superior confidence and flair for answering the questions. (Its difficult to have that when people ask you about a lot of things...particularly when every word you say is watched by all of India's media)

Advani's answers though sent the right signals that the BJP wanted to, leading into the new year.

Advani even knew the names of most of the reporters... the top ones who we get to see everyday on TV.

During the press meet, as soon as a reporter showed signals of asking a question, advani called out the reporter by his name .. "deepak, bolo". This was a very good gesture which I haven't noticed by any politician on TV. Particularly, I remembered those press meets of the west, by Americans or Europeans...they call out like "the man with the speks. your question?"..."the lady there.."

Considering these, Advani's gesture on calling out the reporters by names (like we do with pals), and sometimes even knowing the channel they represent.. was something I am sure the reporters there would appreciate.

"Get used to the Mike"
Advani didn't stop there...he probably was in full form. When one or two reporters had trouble with the mike, Advani promptly commented on them with.. "Mike oopar utao... jaise NDTV mein bolthe ho" (Lift the mike up near you and speak like you speak on NDTV. NDTV was the TV channel that the reporter represented.. yes advani even knew a few reporters by the channel they represented... though the mike was a generic one circulated by his party men..not the mike with NDTV on it.)

.. To another lady whose question Advani couldn't hear.. (she had trouble with the mike), he said... "mike chal nehi rahi hai.. dekho... inki TV mei bhi show ho gaya magar aadath nehi padi hai .. (smiles)" (The mike is not ON..check it. She has had a show on TV already but still hasn't got used to checking the mike).

While the questions were keeping on coming... enters a man with a loud announcement "baiyon.. ab time katham ho chuka hai ...press meet yehi samapth hothi hai... aap log chaliye bhojan keegiye" (Brothers, its time now.. we would end the press meet here... lets have lunch now). And.. this was our Pramod Mahajan showing up. Look there... the press was invited for lunch. Another gesture nice enough. (Probably these things also happened before, in other press meets.. but were not LIVE on TV like today, so, I felt these small things very heartening and ethical on handling press meets).

With that, the press meet ended on a very good note, giving all the right signals for BJP's prospects in the new year.

"I am Hanuman"
...Before this meet, there was a conference yesterday between all top members in the BJP. Here, former prime minister Vajpayee made a statement that he sees two top guys in BJP, Advani and Pramod Mahajan, who are like 'Ram' and 'Laxman' of the BJP. (Ram & Laxman happen to be characters from the great indian epic Ramayana)

This statement of vajpayee was seen by the media as important giving signals of who the new president of the party would be if Advani resigned.

Later in the evening, when BJP top brass came out of the meeting, Mr.Venkiah Naidu the former BJP spokesman, and an important person of the BJP was asked... "If Advani and Pramod mahajan are 'Ram and Laxman'? of ramayana... who is venkiah naidu?".. trying to provoke him that he wasn't considered as important as them in BJP.

To this, Venkiah naidu very easily replied.. "hum .. hanuman hai" (I am hanuman). :o)

Hanuman, also an important character in the epic Ramayana, serves the needs of Ram, is powerful, and brings back the pride of rama when he weakens on losing his wife Sita.