NEW DELHI, June 18: Seeking to put behind the acrimony witnessed last week, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today met senior BJP leader L K Advani, who had resigned in protest against his appointment as head of the Election Campaign Committee.
Modi, on his first visit to Delhi after his elevation, had a 45-minute interaction with Advani which was described by sources close to the BJP patriarch as “good and one that ended on a positive note”.
Sources said the two leaders discussed a range of issues including party’s internal affairs and the split in NDA after BJP’s old-time ally JD(U) parted ways after an alliance of 17 years.
Today’s meeting assumes significance as Advani had opposed Modi’s anointment and had resigned from key party posts on June 10. Advani, however, withdrew his resignation the following day after RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat intervened.
Asked if Modi had gone to meet Advani today to placate him, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “There is no acrimony, no complaint. Advani is a senior leader whom people keep meeting to discuss issues.”
He defended BJP’s decision to elevate Modi as head of the Election Campaign Committee, saying the issue was properly discussed and debated by the party before the decision was taken at the Goa conclave.
Trivedi, who is also political advisor to BJP President Rajnath Singh, said Modi will take over as Election Campaign Committee Chief soon and all will be taken in consultation with Singh.
Modi later chaired his first meeting as head of the election panel when he met BJP national general secretaries.
The impending Assembly elections in six states and the strategy for the Lok Sabha polls were on the agenda, sources said.
The Gujarat Chief Minister also spent more than an hour with ailing former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at his residence earlier in the day.
Modi began his day by meeting senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi at the latter’s residence to express gratitude on being made the poll campaign committee head.
“Modiji has come to Delhi to express his gratitude over his recent appointment as Chairman of the BJP Campaign Committee at Goa. He has expressed his gratitude and said he is trying to fulfil the responsibility given to him,” Joshi later told reporters. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel