New Delhi: The BJP remains divided on appointing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the campaign committee chief for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
In fact senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, speaking to a TV channel, has hinted that the national executive in Goa may not be the appropriate forum to make any such announcement.
“The BJP national executive is too large a body to decide on leadership issues. I believe an appropriate decision on who should be the leader of party will be taken soon at the level of the Parliamentary board,” Yashwant said.
“It’s important at all times for us to be united and project a united face,” Yashwant added.
Senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar also remain opposed to any decision on Modi at the BJP national executive this weekend.
A proposal has been made by a section of the party to call for a ‘Chintan Shivir’ after the national executive to take a decision.
Sources had indicated that the party chief Rajnath Singh is inclined to bow to popular demand to make Modi the campaign committee chief. But Modi has conveyed to Rajnath and Advani that post by-poll victory, this is the best time for him to be given a bigger role.
Meanwhile, four top leaders of the BJP say they will not attend the national executive. They include Jaswant Singh, Shatrughan Sinha, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Varun Gandhi. But clamour has been growing for Modi to be given a bigger role in the BJP.
“If the BJP is doing well in different parts of the country. Narendra Modi has played a crucial part in that. Narendra Modi is not only a popular Chief Minister of Gujarat but is a national leader. BJP looks up to him for his ideas and leadership,” BJP leader Balbir Punj said.
The party has also reportedly decided to reject a proposal to announce two election committees, as suggested by senior leader LK Advani in an attempt to check Mr Modi’s VVIP stature. The 85-year-old had pitched that while Modi’s team could lead the party’s strategy for the national election, another committee headed by former BJP president Nitin Gadkari would steer efforts for upcoming state elections. The point was to signal that Mr Modi was one of the party’s top leaders, rather than its tallest.
That proved to be a case of over-reach by Mr Advani, not least because Mr Gadkari refused to consider the proposal. The BJP was also concerned that creating two committees with different captains would confuse voters. (Agencies)