New Delhi, Sept 12:
After a go-ahead from RSS, BJP today decided to hold a meeting of its Parliamentary Board tomorrow on the issue of declaring Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha polls despite opposition from L K Advani and some other senior leaders.
Despite hectic efforts to bring Advani round by Parliamentary Board members BJP president Rajnath Singh, Ananth Kumar, M Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari, the patriarch refused to toe their line.
Not wanting to delay the announcement any further, Rajnath Singh has convened a meeting of the Parliamentary Board tomorrow at 5 pm when a decision on Modi is expected to be announced.
On a day of fast-paced developments, Ananth Kumar met Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, who wants the decision on Modi to be deferred till after the upcoming assembly polls to Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram.
Rajnath Singh met Swaraj in the evening to convince her on announcing Modi’s candidature but she insisted the decision be taken only at the BJP Parliamentary Board.
Gadkari arrived in the national capital late this evening and met Advani at his residence reportedly to convey RSS’ backing of Modi.
Murli Manohar Joshi, who is also opposed to Modi being projected as the PM candidate, has been asked to stay back in the national capital for the meeting.
Advani, Swaraj and Joshi are expected to voice their reservations against Modi at tomorrow’s meeting.
However, RSS and top BJP leaders appear to have decided to go ahead with the decision on Modi.
Faced with a virtual deadlock due to strong resistance from Advani, Swaraj and Joshi, Rajnath Singh reached out to RSS today evening.
Having got a nod from the Sangh founthead, Singh decided to hold the Parliamentary Board meeting.
Swaraj was asked to cancel her scheduled trip to Ambala tomorrow.
Advani, who is the stumbling block in the announcement, has maintained Modi’s projection would hurt BJP’s campaign against UPA over issues like corruption and price rise as the focus would be on Modi.
While Advani has not said anything publicly on the issue, his close associate Sudheendhra Kulkarni attacked Modi, describing him as a “polarising” leader” in the society as well as the party and questioned his ability as a Prime Minister to run a stable and effective Government.
“A socially polarising leader has polarised his own party. Can he run a smooth, stable and effective government at the Centre? think seriously!” Kulkarni said on Twitter about Modi without naming him.
On the other hand, leaders belonging to the Modi camp insisted his name be declared at the earliest. This created a pressure on Singh to reach as wide a consensus as possible and announce Modi as the PM candidate. (PTI)
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