One of the biggest challenges BJP will have in managing public perception about Yogi Adityanath’s CM image would be to ensure that media does not create ruckus over statements that may be put into his mouth by provoking journalists.
Today’s journalists are not “News Dispensers”. They fancy themselves to be “News Creators”. They seek out loose mouthed politicians and ask leading questions so that whether the answer is “Yes” or “No” or “May be”, it can be twisted to make headlines. The worst lot are the people like Rajdeep Sardesai, Rahul Kanwal and some junior reporters who think they are great journalists and show their cleverness by extracting statements which can be called “Controversial”.
Yesterday when Mr Venkaiah Naidu was speaking, Yogi Adityanath was seen holding his lips tight as if to control saying some thing out of turn. Mr Naidu has told that Mr Adityanath will speak today after the swearing in and if he does not simply speak from a written text and holds a press conference, we may see a battle between the journalists and him. Given his track record to be easily provoked into giving responses even when a simple smile will do, Mr Yogi is a delight of the journalists.
Here in lies the risk to BJP of his selection opening the floodgates for a daily media discussion on the Hidutva Agenda of the BJP.
I wish Mr Yogi Adityanath takes a look at the Principle of rational decision making called “Ulysses Contract” or “Ulysses Pact” which is ideal to be followed in his case. As the legend goes, Ulysses was travelling on the sea and was to pass through an island where there were some charecters called “Sirens” who would be singing songs which would be extremely attractive and attract the travellers to change their course leading ultimately to their death. Ulysses therefore made a contract with his sailor employees (whose ears were plugged so that they could not hear the songs) that he would be bound hard and would not be released even if he orders them to do until they pass the Siren’s island. He therefore could hear the Siren’s singing but even when he temporarily turned insane and pleaded that he be freed, his subordinates did not unbind him and he survived.
This strategy is often used in “Rational Decision Making” to prevent “Irrational Decision Making” by “Self Imposed Constraint”.
I advocate that Mr Yogi Adityanath makes an Ulysses contract with himself and his two Deputy Chief Ministers that he will keep his lips sealed in front of media and will focus only on his work while the DyCMs will take care of media interaction.
Mr Venkaiah Naidu also needs to ensure that this principle is followed by Yogi Adityanath the moment he becomes CM and should take a oath on following such conduct.
Naavi
