Why does the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win? is one of the questions Vinay Sitapati seeks to address in his new book titled Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi.
Sitapati is a lawyer, journalist and political scientist. Currently, he teaches political science at Ashoka University. He is a graduate of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore and Harvard Law School. He also holds a PhD in politics from Princeton University.
In this interview, Sitapati talks about the political relationship between Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, how their friendship developed, and how their teamwork built the foundations of the BJP.
Sitapati also talks about NM Ghatate, Vajpayee's lawyer for almost five decades, and how Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s junior represented the "two princes of Hindu nationalism" in the Emergency case.
[Watch the interview]