Ram Madhav: Has the Kashmir policy worked?

With Madhav at helm, BJP did make significant in-roads in the North East where the saffron party had no presence before 2014.

Whether matters related to Kashmir or the North East, Ram Madhav can be seen at the helm of affairs, wading through contentious issues and making key decisions for the BJP. But yesterday, when he addressed the press conference to announce that the BJP would withdraw support from Mehbooba Mufti-led government, questions were asked on Madhav's handling of the Kashmir issue in the last three years.

It was Madhav who was at the helm of affairs when the BJP formed the government in alliance with the PDP after a carefully drafted common minimum programme. And it was Madhav who had to face the media after announcing that the alliance did not work out.

It is not yet clearly known as to who and at what level exactly the decision was taken to snap ties with the PDP, but it was Madhav who was asked to make it public. If Madhav was instrumental in forging the alliance with PDP, then to what extent does the onus lie on him now that the government has collapsed? It is clear that the entire blame of the alliance collapsing cannot be put on the PDP, if so then who in the BJP be held accountable for the current political situation in the state.

Kashmir matters apart, Madhav's work in the North East has greatly benefitted the BJP. During elections in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, he was involved in carefullly planning the strategies which require in-depth understanding of the demographics of that part of the country. Considering the rest of nation, the politics of the North East is all together a different ball game, but Madhav seems to have understood it way better than other BJP leaders.

With Madhav at helm, BJP did make significant in-roads in the North East where the saffron party had no presence before 2014. He was also part of the BJP strategy to get on board erstwhile Congress strongman Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is credited with bringing the saffron party to power in Assam.

As per reports, Madhav also helped in the process leading to the Naga accord with NSCN. Madhav is a keen China watcher and has also written a book on the subject.

Within internal matters of the BJP, Madhav is a key link between the BJP and RSS. He has brilliant understanding of the internal dynamics of BJP and RSS. His ability to work with BJP while keeping the RSS line intact is what makes him a leader who commands respect both within the party and sangh.

Ram Madhav's background:

• Ram madhav is a former member of the National Executive of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and has authored several books. His latest is 'Uneasy Neighbours: India and China after Fifty Years of the War'.

• Madhav was born in Amalapuram in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh on 22 August 1964. Primarily a student of engineering, he earned his Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Andhra Pradesh. He has a post-graduate degree in Political Science from the University of Mysore.

• Madhav's association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh began as a teenager. He volunteered to be a full-time worker for RSS in 1981. He was assigned to several key positions in the organization.

• He was the editor of Bharatiya Pragna, a monthly magazine in English published by Pragna Bharati, and associate editor of Jagriti, a Telugu weekly. He worked as a journalist for over 20 years with RSS sponsored publications and authored more than twelve books.

• He served as the national spokesperson of the RSS from 2003-2014. Madhav was seconded to the BJP and appointed as one of its national general secretaries in 2014.