The party (BJP) has not once pulled up its allies for their open shunning of (Narendra) Modi. In other words, it has left the horse that could win it the Derby to canter around the paddock, an object of awe for those looking at it from afar. Part of this reluctance to build Modi’s image could be due to the fear that he could prove uncontrollable. But, this is not good enough reason to ignore the only locomotive which can pull the party through. This leads me to wonder whether the BJP really has any alternative strategy, whether its glory days ended with the exit of Vajpayee.