The Hindu Business Line : Mahajan's death: An undeniable loss for BJP

Rajya Sabha member and Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Mr Pramod Mahajan, who succumbed to bullet injuries on Wednesday, was one of the BJP's most charismatic leaders. Known for his efficient management skills, oratorial abilities, techno-friendly ways, Mr Mahajan was often called a "Kautilya" or intelligent politician.

For the BJP, his death is an undeniable loss. Mr Mahajan's meteoric rise in the party began after he helped organise the BJP President, Mr L.K. Advani's famous Rath yatra in 1990.

Following that, he further consolidated his position in the party when he forged an alliance in Maharashtra between the Shiv Sena and the BJP — making it a formidable saffron combine that won the 1995 Assembly elections. He was also responsible for keeping the alliance going through its rocky phases.

Mr Mahajan was credited across parties for strategising and orchestrating several poll victories for his party. He played a big role in the party's victory in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. His career continued its upward swing when he became Union Cabinet minister for Communications and Information Technology between 2001 and 2003. He later became minister for Parliamentary Affairs.

Moving easily, between politics and the world of business, Mr Mahajan solidified the party's relationship with corporate India.

For instance, he was known for having played a major role in India's cellular revolution. However, this image soured on a controversy after accusations about him favouring Reliance in the telecom sector.

Mr Mahajan was born in 1949 in Mehboobnagar, Andhra Pradhesh. His family later migrated to Ambejogai. He began his working career as a teacher in Kholeshwar College in Ambejogai.

However, politics was always a passion. Since his youth, he was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He took part in the agitation against the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in June 1975 and was jailed for his involvement.

Working his way up the ranks he became the leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the party's student wing. Eventually, by the early 90s he became a prominent member in the Maharashtra State unit. Stripped off his cabinet rank in 2003 after the RIL controversy, Mr Mahajan's career graph dropped even more steeply with the failure in the famous India Shining campaign and almost immediate BJP-Sena alliance loss in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

However, of late his prospects were looking up as the new President of the BJP began relying on him. Given his outspoken and driven personality Mr Mahajan would have had a roller coaster career.

Unfortunately this has been cut short by his untimely death.