 "Modi named BJP's poll campaign chief")
After days of consultations with the party’s central leadership and members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP President Rajnath Singh today named Modi as the chairman of the party’s election campaign committee — something that was being vehemently opposed by Advani, who had also decided not to attend the three-day national executive meeting here, citing poor health.
“I have taken a decision to appoint Gujarat CM Narendra Modi after consultations with all senior leaders, including Advani,” Singh said after the national executive meeting. Singh is expected to meet Advani once he reaches Delhi.
Also Read
Soon after his appointment, Modi spoke to Advani over phone, the first time in three days. Though Advani had remained unwell all through the national executive meet, Modi had been the only leader who had not spoken to him to asked about his health.
“I spoke to Advani. I am extremely grateful and honoured to get his blessings. Senior leaders have reposed faith in me and we will leave no stone unturned to help the country get rid of the Congress party,” Modi tweeted today.
With Modi’s appointment, BJP’s nationwide campaign for both Lok Sabha polls and Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Rajasthan is set to kick off from June 23, the death anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The campaign would go on till October this year.
“Narendra Modi and all senior leaders of the party will go across states and Parliamentary constituencies in the next few months. Political rallies and public meetings will be held in to campaign for elections,” said BJP Spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman.
It is understood that Singh was able to make up his mind on Modi’s appointment in the face of Advani’s opposition after RSS leaders stepped in to support the move.
Singh is learnt to have decided to assert himself as the party’s president and side with Modi despite Sushma Swaraj, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Ananth Kumar, BJP’s general-secretary, trying to impress upon him for almost three days that he should not announce the appointment in Advani’s absence.
“All efforts were made to persuade L K Advani. Even a chartered flight was kept waiting so that he could come for the meeting but that didn’t happen,” said a senior BJP leader. RSS leaders were also very clear that there was no need to delay a decision on Modi and an announcement should be made at the national executive itself.
In another setback for Advani, Uma Bharati and Yashwant Sinha, who had earlier sided with him in opposing Modi’s appointment, today chose to reverse their stand and support the party chief’s decision. However, in a consolation of sorts for Advani, Singh has also decided to form another committee — polling booth management committee — which will be headed by a central leader. The name of the central leader will be announced later.
“The announcement of both the committees would have diminished the significance of Modi’s appointment,” a BJP leader expalined.
You're heading this meet for last time: Modi to PM
Even before Narendra Modi was appointed BJP’s face for the upcoming elections, Gujarat chief minister had told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the recent meeting of chief ministers on internal security that he was heading his last meeting as Prime Minister before the general election.
On the last day of the national executive when Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar proposed the political resolution of the party, he told BJP leaders that while the party was blaming Congress of being indecisive, BJP too should introspect whether BJP too was not being indecisive. Parrikar’s statement and virtual demand for appointing Modi was followed by loud cheers of BJP’s national executive members.
When Modi’s turn came to address the gathering, he told the national executive members that they should go to their states and constituencies and ask farmers to give a small part of iron from their farming tools which will be used in the making statue of Sardar Patel that is being built in Gujarat.
“Narendra Modi wants iron from farmers to build a statue of Sardar Patel in Gujarat that will be double the size of statue of liberty,” said Modi at the national executive. Almost three decades ago, when BJP struggling play an important role in politics, it had started a similar movement by asking people to send bricks for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.