Advani is BJP's PM candidate, finally

The announcement comes amid fears of Modi's claim on Delhi if he wins in Gujarat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today reinstated former party president and one of its senior-most leaders, LK Advani, on its rolls of honour.

After a meeting of the parliamentary board, it announced he would be the party's candidate for prime minister if the party was in a position to form a government.

The announcement came after two months of intensive consultations between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP, amid the latter's fear that if Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi won the state election, the next logical step ahead of the Lok Sabha election would be for him to make a claim on Delhi.

The announcement was also the result of a realisation in the party and the Sangh that if the party was to have credible leadership, there had to be a paradigm shift in the way it viewed Advani, who had to offer to resign from the presidentship of the BJP twice in 30 days two years ago.

In the aftermath of the controversy over his remarks about the statesmanlike stature of Pakistan's founder MA Jinnah, Advani, who has given more than 50 years in the political service of Hinduism, became the subject of target practice in his organisation.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh became the president of the BJP, but his lack of initiative and insecurity stunted his growth.

Twice in the last three months, it was Advani, and not Rajnath Singh, who had to take matters in his hand. This includes leading a march to Nandigram with Mamata Bannerjee to commiserate with the political victims of the CPI(M). Similarly, Rajnath Singh hasn't said a word on the BJP's position on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal "" that also was left to Advani.

With this, another leader whose admittedly faltering claim on the BJP has been knocked out is Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Around November 10, Advani's birthday, the RSS politely suggested to Vajpayee that it would be more graceful if he were to announce endorsing Advani as the party's prime ministerial choice, either through a letter or a statement.

Vajpayee, top party sources say, refused, arguing this would smack of nomination. He declared that only the Parliamentary Board could make a decision as crucial as this. While the logic of the argument was flawless, it was seen as reluctance on the part of Vajpayee to hand over the leadership baton.

The Sangh then counseled the BJP to do as Vajpayee was suggesting. Thus, although two important laeders in the party "" Vice-President Venkiah Naidu and General Secretary Arun Jaitely "" were not in town, the party held its Parliamentary Board meeting and announced the decision.

Several friends and well-wishers of Advani "" mostly professionals "" advocated his case with the Sangh, leading to a rethink, party sources say.

The person who is likely to be most cut up about the announcement will be Rajnath Singh. However, several important decisions that were held up because of his indecision might now be taken: A cabinet expansion in the JD(U)-BJP government in Bihar, smoothening party relations in Rajasthan, and a decision on the fate of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, mired in scandals.

There was a time when other allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) might have become impatient at the BJP's choice of Advani. But there is likely to be zero resistance to him when he is counterposed against Modi.

Several friends and well-wishers of Advani "" mostly professionals "" advocated his case with the Sangh, leading to a rethink, party sources say.