| "Throughout my political career, I have never considered anything as a challenge but always tried to find a solution to problems," Rajnath Singh, who will succeed LK Advani, told reporters here. |
| Asked what was the biggest challenge before him as party chief and how he would face it, Singh said, "Almighty has always helped me in finding a solution to problems." |
| No wonder that Singh is said to have consulted astrologers while setting 9.30 am on January 2 as the time and date for his takeover as BJP president. |
| He may require similar divine help in concentrating on the task at hand, that of providing direction to a party which is racked by internal squabbling and looking forward to five Assembly polls where it has only a marginal stake. |
| The Mumbai convention of the BJP exposed deep fissures within the party. |
| Sushma Swaraj did not balk at taking on outgoing party chief LK Advani on what she termed as soft-pedalling on the cash-for-questions scam. Not just this, Rajnath Singh's rival Kalyan Singh spoke of reviving the Ram temple issue with great vigour. |
| "There is no need to feel apologetic about our hindutva credentials," he said. More significantly, he also said no person having a criminal background was to be given a party ticket. |
| There is speculation that Pramod Mahajan may take over as organisational secretary. Mahajan had been endorsing Rajnath Singh's name for the party president's. This may result in Mahajan leaving other second-rung leaders behind for the party post. |
| Rajnath Singh, however, has made it clear that nothing was wrong with the party. To a question, he said, "There were no internal differences in the party in the past. Nor there will be any in future." |
| Singh is the third BJP president in 15 months. |
| M Venkaiah Naidu had to step down as party chief midway in October 2004 while Advani, who took over the reins, resigned yesterday, bowing to RSS pressure over his controversial remarks on Jinnah. |
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