The urns containing Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes are being taken to all state capitals and district headquarters and being immersed in 100 sacred rivers. Photo: PTI

Just as the holy cow, which is considered as the most sacred animal by Hindus, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is also being treated similarly by the ruling BJP.

Hindus worship the cow as sacred texts such as Vedas, Smritis, Srutis and Puranas talk about the virtues of the humble animal. It is thought that 33 crore Hindu deities are home to a cow.

Due to the cow's usefulness in agriculture, she has always been considered beneficial since ancient times. Besides milk, cowdung and her urine are thought to be having medicinal values.

The cow is worshipped by religious Hindus also because they say the animal comes to their help even after her death as her hide is used for making leather products and bones are used to prepare medicines.

Like the cow, Atal Bihari Vajpayee devoted his whole life for the BJP and its ideological parents the RSS and the Jan Sangh. He played one of the most important roles for the party to grow and come to power at the Centre and in the states.

Before incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he indeed was the BJP's poster boy. While another senior leader LK Advani's role in establishing the BJP may arguably be no less than that of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, what set the latter apart was his acceptability across the political spectrum.

It was in the name and image of Atal Bihari Vajpayee that about two dozen parties aligned with the BJP to form the NDA and the government at the Centre in 1998. Before Modi, the BJP came to power at the Centre on three occasions and each time with Vajpayee as their mascot.

So devoted was Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the BJP, RSS and the country that he did not marry. He hid in a friend's place for days together when his parents planned to get him married.

Vajpayee did devote his life to the country. The BJP gained immensely from him during his lifetime.

And now like the holy cow, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is proving beneficial to the BJP even after his death.

Just as milking the cow, the BJP is also sparing no effort to perhaps ensure that they draw as much political mileage out of Vajpayee's name and image even after his death.

Through an elaborate plan of funeral rites, the BJP seems to be making a spectacle out of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death.

The BJP's target seems to be more than one. Its immediate aim appears to be winning Assembly elections in the four states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram later this year.

This has already been pointed out by Vajpayee's niece Karuna Shukla who accused Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of "using" the former PM's name in view of the forthcoming Assembly elections in the four states. "They think by using his name, the BJP will be able to win elections in these four states," she said.

Shukla, who quit the BJP to join the Congress in 2013, may not be totally off the mark. The Chhattisgarh government has declared that the newly-built state capital Naya Raipur will be renamed as Atal Nagar. Apart from that, a state university has been named after Vajpayee.

From the moment Vajpayee, who was admitted to AIIMS in the national capital, was declared serious, the BJP made a show out of the situation. First all the top leaders including PM Modi, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP president Amit Shah, Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states among others visited the hospital. Some visited him even more than once.

After Vajpayee was declared dead on August 16, his body was first kept at his residence and then at the BJP headquarters for the people to pay their respect.

But the image which will remain etched in everyone's memory and will always be associated with Vajpayee's death would be the almost five-km walk of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah behind the former PM's cortege to Smriti Sthal, the earmarked cremation site.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and senior party leaders walking behind Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cortege will remain an everlasting memory. Photo: PTI

Some other events may be aimed at drawing political mileage at the national level with the 2019 Lok Sabha election in mind. The 'asthi kalash', containing Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes, is being taken to all the districts headquarters and state capitals.

Besides, prayer meetings are being organised in all state capitals, district headquarters and at the panchayat level.

The immersion of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes in the Ganga in Haridwar and 100 sacred rivers will also serve the same purpose.

On August 20, an all-party prayer meeting was held to pay rich tributes to Vajpayee in New Delhi. Besides PM Modi, Amit Shah and senior BJP leaders, it was attended by leaders of BJP's NDA partners and Opposition as Vajpayee's appeal cut across political divide.

It was a different scene altogether to witness. Parties, which are seen opposing each other and passing vitriolic comments against each other in and outside Parliament, joined chorus in paying rich tributes to Vajpayee.

Besides electorally helping the BJP, these moves may also serve a crucial purpose. They will apparently help in the image makeover of PM Modi and Amit Shah.

While Vajpayee was always considered a moderate rightwing leader, the image of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah is that of a hardline Hindutva leader. By according respect to Vajpayee and holding events in detail even after his death, the two top most leaders of the BJP may expect some of Vajpayee's image of a moderate leader to be rubbed off them.

They may hope to become more inclusive to the masses, become more acceptable and win over more friends and votes in the process.