BJP infighting reflects 'poor and pitiable' national leadership: Rajeev Shukla

 

Asserting that differences of opinion within the BJP's top leadership are a matter of concern, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla on Saturday said the people of India must ponder over it, as the main opposition party may not be able to provide a stable government to the country due to this alleged infighting.

"Though this is their internal matter, but now, the nation has to be concerned about it, because if they get some responsible position tomorrow in the country, how will they behave. It is going to harm the country. If they can't remain united within their own party, how they can lead this nation," said Shukla.

"So, I think now people of the country must think on this question, they must ponder over this question whether BJP can provide them a leadership," he added.

Several BJP leaders, including party veteran Lal Krishna Advani, gave the two-day national executive meet in Goa a miss.

Advani's absence from the office bearer's meeting in Goa has given a clear indication that he is upset with the proposal of making Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi the face of the party's poll campaign panel. There are even reports in the media quoting him, as insisting that BJP president Rajnath Singh should take key party decisions only in his presence.

Advani earlier on Friday skipped an important session of the 12 office-bearers of BJP. According to certain media reports, a chartered flight that was hired to take Advani to Goa this morning for the party's national executive was cancelled.

Some senior BJP leaders are also opposed to Modi being projected as the party's foremost leader. Jaswant Singh, Uma Bharti, Maneka Gandhi, Varun Gandhi and Shatrughan Sinha are also not attending the Goa conclave.

Sending out a strong message that there is no conflict within the outfit, Rajnath Singh yesterday said Advani is unwell and will be attending the national executive meet tomorrow.

"Due to Advaniji's ill-health, I told him not to attend the meet today. He will reach Goa tomorrow," he told mediapersons here, when asked about Advani's absence.

BJP Vice President Smriti Irani said that the Parliamentary Board of the party would take a final decision on whether Modi would head the party's poll panel.

"Well, we all know what the Goa Chief Minister wants, we all know what the nation wants and what the workers want. But let me humbly remind you as the office bearer of Bharatiya Janata Party that ultimately our national president Rajnathji has said that we all have to wait and see what the parliamentary board wants," said Irani.

Ahead of the BJP national executive meet, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar had come out strongly in support of Modi, and said that the latter should lead the BJP's election campaign.

Modi's detractors fear that his elevation as chief of the party's election committee is just one step away from him being declared the BJP's prime ministerial candidate - a position some of them believe they deserve.