The Hindu : National : Talks begin on BJP leadership change

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 18, 2005

National

National

Talks begin on BJP leadership change

Neena Vyas

Sudarshan meets Vajpayee at his residence Although the timing of Mr. Advani's demitting office would be kept, the announcement or selection of a new party president could be delayed

NEW DELHI: A two-hour meeting between the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K.S. Sudarshan here on Thursday signalled the start of the process of consultations between senior Bharatiya Janata Party and RSS leaders on the selection of a new BJP president who will replace L.K. Advani by the end of this year.

The meeting took place over lunch at Mr. Vajpayee's residence and is considered significant because Mr. Vajpayee had played a key role in finalising the July 11 agreement between the top RSS functionaries and the BJP following the controversy over Mr. Advani's Jinnah remarks in Pakistan. The bottom line of that agreement was that Mr. Advani would resign as party president "latest" by December at the party's proposed Mumbai national council session. The reprieve till December was apparently wrested by Mr. Vajpayee.

At the party's Chennai national executive committee session Mr. Advani declared that he would give up the top party post in December in Mumbai.

Mr. Sudarshan is expected to remain here on Friday — he is scheduled to leave for Assam on Saturday — and there is a distinct possibility of several senior party leaders meeting him individually at the RSS headquarters in Jhandewalan. Some senior party leaders confirmed that they have been sounded out by RSS leader in-charge of the BJP, Suresh Soni, about a possible meeting although no time had yet been fixed. Since BJP vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu was not going to be here on Friday he met RSS leaders Mohan Bhagwat and Mr. Soni at Jhandewalan on Wednesday. Mr. Advani is also expected to meet the RSS leadership on Friday.

Party general secretary for organisation, Sanjay Joshi, was also at the Jhandewalan RSS headquarters on Wednesday and Thursday for a Kashmir earthquake relief-related meeting. It is understood that he had a separate meeting with the RSS bosses on the change of guard in the BJP.

A "routine" meeting

For the record both the BJP and the RSS described the Vajpayee-Sudarshan meeting as "routine" as it was natural for them to meet when both are in town. However, with the Bihar election campaign having come to an end, the next big item on the BJP's agenda is leadership change.

Party leaders clued in to what the RSS wants insist that there will be no change from the December timetable. "If at all there is any change in the timetable it would be by a few days," a senior party leader said.

But some others felt that although the timing of Mr. Advani's demitting office would be kept, the announcement or selection of a new party president could be delayed, but not beyond January 2006. These leaders were of the view that the party's Mumbai conclave should not be allowed to be hijacked by any controversy on a new party president. Instead the focus should be on the achievements of the BJP during the 25 years of its journey since its birth in 1980.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National