 "Modi tries to end differences with BJP leaders for greater acceptability in Delhi")
Often accused of not being team person and and being domineering at times, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is fast trying to change his image as he is slowly moving towards a greater presence in the functioning of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the national level.
In his effort to change his image within the party, Modi is trying hard to build bridges with former BJP President Nitin Gadkari. Modi and Gadkari had their differences when Gadkari was BJP President and the Gujarat chief minister had also vehemently opposed Gadkari’s second term, but now the situation has changed.
“Narendra Modi is trying hard to end the differences now and the two senior leaders often sit for a couple of hours and discuss national politics and election strategies whenever both of them are in Delhi together,” said a senior leader of BJP.
BJP leaders point out that Modi is also keen to end differences with Gadkari because the strongman from Maharashtra is an important leader in the state which has 48 Lok Sabha seats and as the chairman of the election campaign committee, Modi needs to win majority of seats in Maharashtra along with Uttar Pradesh which has 80 Lok Sabha seats and Bihar with 40 Lok Sabha seats.
Senior BJP leaders also elaborated that since deputy leader of Lok Sabha, Gopinath Munde and Gadkari are not on best of terms in the state, Modi is keen to have Gadkari on his side so that alliance partners of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Shiv Sena, doesn’t oppose to Modi’s rise in the party. Gadkari has been working hard to bring both Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray together for the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly election in mid-2014.
Members of the BJP said that Modi was also keen to end rift with senior leader LK Advani and the parliamentary board meeting on Thursday was a move in this direction. Most of the BJP leaders were pleased that Advani not only sat through the entire three hour long meeting but also gave his advice about election management and preparations for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
If this was not enough, Gujarat chief minister has also decided not to interfere in the election preparations in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rasjasthan too much and allow chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh to run the campaign for both assembly election and Lok Sabha election.
“BJP has been doing well in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. All the chief ministers and Vasundhara Raje are very strong state leaders who will not take it lightly if there is too much interference in their state,” the BJP leader explained.