BJP vs Marxists

The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : A tale of two celebrations: "It is rare that two major political parties � the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) � should stage celebrations on the same day in the capital.

The BJP has mounted a big celebration at the Ambedkar Stadium (the site of football matches) to commemorate 25 years of its existence, while the CPI(M) is gathering for its 18th party congress at the familiar venue of political conventions, the Indoor Talkatora Stadium. The BJP has baptised the Ambedkar Stadium as Deen Dayal Uppadhya Nagar, while the CPI(M) has christened the Talkatora Stadium as E.K. Nayanar Nagar.

But that is where the similarities end. The two celebrations provide a contrast in style, content and leadership profile.

For the BJP, the celebration is an exercise in serenading the newly-installed leadership of L.K. Advani, in place of the much younger, second-generation, Venkaiah Naidu. For the CPI(M), the party congress is the occasion to set the stage for a leadership change; from all indications, the octogenarian, long-serving general-secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet is ready to make way for a much younger Prakash Karat. "