Advani & Co. catch NaMonitis
Sharp divisions within the BJP over naming Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi the head of its general election campaign committee came to the fore on the first day of the party’s national conclave in Goa on Friday. Veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani skipped the first day of the three-day session due to “ill health” but speculation is rife that Mr Advani, an aspirant himself for the PM’s post, is against the party announcing Mr Modi’s name for the poll panel at this juncture. Mr Advani also has reservations over Mr Modi’s projection as PM candidate despite the growing clamour for this within the party.
Many senior leaders are likely to stay away from the national executive meeting. BJP vice-president Uma Bharti, general secretary Varun Gandhi, Rajya Sabha deputy leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, Jaswant Singh and Shatrughan Sinha are unlikely to attend, party sources said.
While Ms Bharati, considered close to Mr Advani, is not well after a long tour for her Save Ganga project, Mr Gandhi is in Paris with his wife for a break after the death of their newborn child. Mr Prasad is leading a delegation to Sri Lanka. Mr Sinha and Mr Singh are also reportedly unwell.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, considered close to Mr Advani, reached the office-bearers’ meeting late though she had reached Goa by early afternoon. Sources said Ms Swaraj does not want the BJP to take any major decision in Mr Advani’s absence. Sources said the office-bearers’ meet was to discuss, among other issues, the question of the campaign committee head.
Till late Friday evening there was no clarity on whether Mr Advani would attend the two-day national executive meet beginning Saturday. While BJP president Rajnath Singh said Mr Advani will attend, in case he decides to stay away the party might be forced to give up plans to announce Mr Modi’s name as campaign panel head at the Goa session.
While the BJP advised the media not to “read too much” into Mr Advani’s absence, BJP president Rajnath Singh said that “due to Advaniji’s ill-health, I told him not to attend the meeting today. He will reach Goa tomorrow.”
While the clamour grows in party circles to project Mr Modi as the PM candidate at the earliest, many within the party top brass and the RSS believe this is not the right time for the BJP to announce its PM candidate. At a time when the party cadre clearly favours Mr Modi as PM candidate, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath openly said Mr Advani should be named the PM candidate by both the BJP and the NDA.
Mr Modi clearly hogged the limelight on the first day of the BJP conclave. The Gujarat CM was given a rousing welcome by BJP supporters and leaders soon after his arrival in Goa on Friday. He was received by Goa CM Manohar Parrikar and top party leaders. Mr Parrikar had said on Thursday that Mr Modi can “catapult the BJP to power” and take it “closer to government formation at the Centre”.
Sources said while some office-bearers did press for declaring Mr Modi as campaign committee head at the conclave, there was no consensus.
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