RSS steps in to purge BJP
New Delhi, Aug. 28: The RSS is learnt to have come out with a succession plan to defuse the ongoing crisis in the BJP.
Under the plan, Mr L.K. Advani, who has so far been reluctant to quit as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, would be made chairman of the BJP parliamentary party while he would be succeeded by the deputy Opposition leader, Ms Sushma Swaraj, who has so far maintained a low profile in the ongoing controversy.
The BJP strategist, Mr Arun Jaitley, now Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, is being tipped to become party president in place of Mr Rajnath Singh. In that event, former party chief Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu could become leader in the Rajya Sabha, succeeding Mr Jaitley.
A meeting was held at Mr Advani’s residence here late Friday evening to discuss the RSS formula. Party insiders said, however, that there would be no immediate change, but that this was the succession plan that the party and the RSS were working on.
One section of the RSS and the BJP is, meanwhile, pushing for Mr Ananth Kumar as party chief following the party’s victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls and the BJP’s move to consolidate its position in South India.
The Rajnath camp maintained a stoic silence on Friday. If the formula works out, Mr Singh will be the worst hit as he was expecting some adjustment in the Lok Sabha, either as BJP leader or at least deputy leader. Interestingly, Mr Rajnath Singh was conspicuous by his absence during the meeting at Mr Advani’s residence.
The proposed move to make Mr Advani parliamentary party chairman is viewed as a “graceful exit” for the old warhorse, considered the main architect of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
Sources said senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Arun Jaitley, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar had decided to bury their differences to find ways to make changes at the top in the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Mr Naidu, Mr Jaitley and Ms Swaraj called on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday to discuss the succession plan.
Mr Bhagwat, who earlier indicated that the BJP must allow the new generation to come forward, reportedly asked these leaders to persuade both Mr Advani and Mr Rajnath Singh to make way for others.
It was discussed that following the criticism of Mr Advani by his former Cabinet colleagues on the Kandahar hijack issue, the party’s image was taking a severe beating.
His former colleagues in the then NDA Cabinet have repeatedly claimed that Mr Advani was “fully aware of the entire Kandahar developments, including the freeing of three terrorists”.
Mr Advani’s credibility was also questioned when former national security adviser Brajesh Mishra revealed that “he (Advani) was economical with the truth” in his autobiography, My Country, My Life.
Sources said all four leaders, particularly Mr Jaitley, Mr Naidu and Ms Swaraj, had received a barrage of telephone calls from Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand to take charge of the situation and move in to “save the party”.
The state leaders have been reportedly complaining that while Mr Advani was becoming a “liability”, Mr Rajnath Singh was responsible for “creating a bush fire” within the organisation “to save his own berth”, the sources said.
Source::DC
