TNN Sep 13, 2013, 01.55AM IST
(Having worked through a…)
NEW DELHI: Disregarding L K Advani's unrelenting opposition to Narendra Modi's projection as the prime ministerial candidate, BJP and RSS were pressing ahead with their plan to formally declare the Gujarat CM as their choice for the country's top job.
Having worked through a day of high drama marked by shuttle diplomacy, the BJP leadership decided to stick to its plan to call a meeting of the parliamentary board to seal the issue in Modi's favour: a decision that would spell the end of a long phase in BJP dominated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, and mark the emergence of Modi as the new saffron talisman and one of the themes around whom contemporary politics may be framed.
Given the far-reaching significance of the decision, it was inevitable that the party leadership had to work furiously to break through the resistance to Modi's candidature. While Advani was unwavering in his opposition, party chief Rajnath Singh's patient persuasion, backed by RSS, managed to bring around the other two important holdouts: leader of opposition Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi.
The leadership is hopeful that Swaraj and Joshi will drop their scheduled engagements outside Delhi to attend the meeting of the parliamentary board on Friday evening. With Swaraj and Joshi likely to suspend their reservations, Advani may not find support from among the 11 members of the parliamentary board, excluding the ailing Vajpayee.
That the leadership decided not to change the date of the meeting despite the clash with another media event -- sentencing of the four convicted in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case -- pointed to the resolve not to put off the decision which the saffron cadre and sympathizers are clamouring for since Modi's emphatic win in Gujarat last year.
The day witnessed intense moves. Nitin Gadkari, Ananth Kumar and M Venkaiah Naidu were engaged in hectic parleys to smoothen the way for Modi being named as BJP's prime ministerial candidate while Rajnath himself spoke to several colleagues and RSS leaders.
Rajnath met Swaraj and Joshi who, according to sources, were unenthusiastic about the Gujarat CM's nomination.
Modi's anointment will complete a long-drawn and problematic process of generational change in the saffron party although it comes at the cost of much bad blood being spilt in an outfit that once prided itself for being disciplined.
Advani remains inaccessible, but his one-time aide Sudheendra Kulkarni defiantly took on Modi, saying a divisive figure cannot expect to lead the country.
Clearly articulating Advani's views, Kulkarni said on Twitter, "A socially polarising leader has polarised his own party. Can he run a smooth, stable and effective government at the Centre? Think seriously!"
The irony of original Hindutva hawk like Advani seems to be presenting himself as a moderate as opposed to Modi as some one who alienates a significant section of society due the taint of the 2002 riots, brought out the grim determination of the camp.
However, the mood in the party had by evening veered around to calling Advani's bluff. The veteran now has the choice of keeping away from the meeting or attending it to register his opposition.
The line up in the 12 member board seems clear enough. Apart from Modi himself and Vajpayee, who is unwell, other members who will vote for the CM are Arun Jaitley, Thawarchand Gehlot, M Venkaiah Naidu, Ram Lal, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. Karnataka leader Ananth Kumar is aligned with Advani but is not opposing Modi. If Swaraj and Joshi too do not vote against him the lone dissenter will be Advani.
In public, Rajnath sought to downplay Advani's reservations, saying "I want to clarify that nobody in BJP is unhappy and nobody has put any conditions."
However, the mood in the BJP ranks got progressively restive in view of the opposition from Advani, with senior Bihar leader Sushil Kumar Modi openly saying that "Advani has failed to gauge the public mood. Advaniji himself declared Atalji as PM candidate. Now also he could have done the same for Namo ( Narendra Modi)."
Congress got an opportunity to get its back at BJP and Modi and said, "The entire country is watching what kind of pulls and pressures are happening within the BJP. A party, which is trying to come power to rule the country, is not being able to handle its internal conflicts."
Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said, "It's a confused party with a confused agenda and confused people. Those who are confused behave only this way."
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