The Architect of the New BJP: How Narendra Modi Transformed the Party

by Ajay Singh, Walter K. Andersen (Foreword)

In less than forty years of its existence, the Bharatiya Janata Party has become the world's largest political party and continues to go from strength to strength in Indian politics. Although its historic rise may seem organic to some, there is much internal deliberation and planning that has aided the growth of this 180-million-member organization.

The Architect of the New BJP uses in-depth research and concrete examples to explain how the BJP has transformed over the decades. It reveals lesser-known contributions, like Prime Minister Narendra Modi's experiments with traditional methods of party-building, his keen eye for detail and the different innovative methodologies to expand the party. Ajay Singh not only examines the past of the party, including the vision of its founders, but also provides a glimpse into the future of the party. Based on extensive interviews with many party workers, leaders and observers, this is the story of how the veterans of this cadre-based party, appreciating its limitations, developed a unique Indian model that eventually transformed the BJP into the election-winning machine it is today.

Genres: Politics, India, History, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2022

About the author

Ajay is working as an assistant professor at Texas A & M International University, United States and as a visiting professor at Amity University, India. He completed his PhD from University Oregon, United States in Early Intervention and Special Education Leadership. Earlier he completed his M Phil with a focus on research methodology & human rights and master degrees in early intervention, counseling & psychotherapy, disability rights, learning disabilities with bachelor degree in mental retardation (BMR).

He is serving as an Associate Editor, International Journal of Disability, Development and Education; Co- Editor, Journal of Neuroscience in Rural Practice; and also serving as a member in the editorial board of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties and Teaching Young Children. He is also associated as a member in the review boards of Pediatrics, Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, Journal of Special Education & Rehabilitation, Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, Journal of International Medical Research, and the Journal of Pediatrics.

Since 2019 he is also working as a Postdoctoral Program Advisor with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

He is the Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (FRSM); Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH); and Fellow of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (FAACPDM). He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Neurology, International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education, European Educational Research Association, and Academic Council of the United Nation Systems. He published and presented more than seventy six peer-reviewed research papers in several peer reviewed top tier international journals and in international conferences.

Reviews

[Divya Pal · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the outset, let me declare that I am a Modi fan, a BJP supporter, and follower of RSS ideology; that is why I purchased this book. But it turned out to be just another hagiography of Modi Ji, adding nothing new to his mystique.
A simple formula of writing a best-seller – collect some archival material on RSS/BJP/Modi, and, assured of a good publishing house, just put a striking photo of Narendra Modi on the cover, and, voila! There’s your best-seller.

[Moksh Juneja · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book highlights the genesis of how Modi became PM and more importantly chronicles the entire journey of how RSS stimulated the organisational structure to initiate with BJS moved to BJP.

Getting a political parallel to managerial learning of organisation building was the key takeaway from the book, at the same time the roots of this idea lie in RSS. As per the book, Modi involved even the marginalised and committed communities towards the election and eventually voted for the party, for him. Going bac to history the merging of Jan Sangh into BJP showcased its adaptability over time. Despite challenges like the emergence of VP Singh, the BJP stayed true to its ideology. A testament to resilience and commitment in the face of change.

Building effective parties mirrors organizational development:
1. Craft a robust governance model
2. Scale state-level successes to the national stage.
3. Embrace diversity by co-opting diverse ideologies.
4. Success lies in adapting these skills

Parties owe their success to unconventional methods like co-opting notable figures and aligning government programs with party objectives seamlessly. It's a strategic approach that underscores the importance of synergy between political vision and governance.

Choosing a political organization isn't just about ideology. It's about finding one committed to the common good. Gandhi's Congress bridged elitist English-speaking circles to connect with the masses. BJP's roots in the Hindi heartland demonstrate adaptability across linguistic lines

My understanding is to pick up 3 things that you want to bring about change. Put all your efforts towards it.

[Namrata Wong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book as I was interested in learning more about Modi. Living in the US, the news articles that I read are typically focused on the Gujrati riots and how he marginalizes Muslims. But this man has done a lot to lift India, which I wanted to learn more about.

This book 'told' me that Modi galvanized the voting public, but didn't 'show' me. The author kept coming back to the fact that Modi was big on training people and listening to people, no matter their status. But it didn't go much beyond that. The author focused a lot on the internal political strifes within BJP, which I personally didn't really care about.

Even the demonetization policy that Modi undertook - the author briefly talked about why Modi embarked on this, but it didn't provide any more insight than what I had read in articles.

Overall, I didn't learn much more than I already knew about *how* Modi rose to power and established himself.

[Sambuddha Mukherjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating : 3/5
Good book....very interestingly packaged and all concerned topics are covered....annotations and anecdotes are given where necessary.... the origin, development, organisational structures, genesis of Bharatiya Janata Party is analytically discussed... and a special point of view from Pre-Modi and during-Modi stages are discussed and pointed out. Author's analysis and narrations in this discourse is good to know and perceive.

[Abhishek · Rating 3 out of 5]

My opinion about this book.

If you didn't know anything in the context of the contemporary Indian political scenario, then you will find this; quite interesting. If you are a bit keen and you know most of the facts already, then it's a one-time read.

[Bindesh Dahal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and nicely written. India is lucky to have Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister.

[Sunil Trivedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unputdownable book. And you need not be a BJP supporter to like it. If you are interested in a systemic and insightful understanding of organisation building, you will get useful learning. And you can use this learning in a corporate setting or in a trust or wherever you are engaged.
Training is an essential part of organisation building is illustrated with examples from BJP under Modi.
Sustainable expansion, organic and inorganic, is integral to building a large organisation. Under Modi, BJP has entrenched itself in Assam. It was unimaginable till Modi took charge. He integrated new entrants from other parties with the BJP in Assam. He replicated this model in much of the North East, putting BJP in the pole position.
Innovation and out-of-the-box methods are hallmarks of Modi's approach. To get to know about so many examples of organisational innovation, one needs to read this book by Ajay Singh. The book educates as much as it entertains as a racy political story. One of the best in several years.