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  1. History
  2. Politics

Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi

Narendra Modi has been a hundred years in the making. Vinay Sitapati's Jugalbandi provides this backstory to his current dominance in Indian politics. It begins with the creation of Hindu nationalism as a response to British-induced elections in the 1920s, moves on to the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980, and ends with its first national government, from 1998 to 2004. And it follows this journey through the entangled lives of its founding jugalbandi: Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.Over their six-decade-long relationship, Vajpayee and Advani worked as a team despite differences in personality and beliefs. What kept them together was fraternal love and professional synergy, of course, but also, above all, an ideology that stressed on unity. Their partnership explains what the BJP before Modi was, and why it won.In supporting roles are a cast of characters-from the warden's wife who made room for Vajpayee in her family to the billionaire grandson of Pakistan's founder who happened to be a major early funder of the BJP. Based on private papers, party documents, newspapers and over two hundred interviews, this is a must-read for those interested in the ideology that now rules India.
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Nikhil Fatnani Reviewed on: 29-01-2022
A brilliant take on Indian politics from the perspective of the BJP

The author starts the book with the below definition of 'Jugalbandi' : Jugalbandi (????????) means 'entwined twins' in Hindi. Typically used for an Indian classical concert featuring two solo musicians, usually with different instruments, making music together. The author uses 'Jugalbandi' as a metaphor to talk about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the perspective of the two 'musicians' Lal Krishna Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The narrative starts talking about the background of the two personalities, to them joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to being part of the Jan Sangh, the Janata party and finally becoming the founding members of the BJP. It takes a deep dive into their friendship and also explains the inner workings of the party. It is a very informative read on the various events in Indian politics and how it has moulded the BJP to the party that we know today. It helps in getting a fuller understanding, especially of the politics of the BJP and Indian politics in general. A must read for every Indian political enthusiast.