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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) patriarch L K Advani has said as Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been entrusted with the responsibility of the whole country, the good work done by him in Gujarat would be replicated across India. However, the comment suggests far from endorsing Modi, Advani is preparing himself for the long haul.
If he had wanted to, Advani could have upheld Modi’s vision for India’s defence and foreign policy, unveiled in Rewari on Sunday. But there was no reference to this. In Korba, Advani said the work of other chief ministers — Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh) and Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh) — in the field of power sector reforms was noteworthy. He then equated Modi with other chief ministers, something he has done time and again.
It now transpires earlier this month, Chouhan had met Advani and told him it would be in the interest of the party to delay the announcement of Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, as the outcome for as many as 40 Madhya Pradesh seats could be affected by the announcement. Soon after the meeting, Sangh-BJP intermediary S Gurumurthy visited Advani and sought to know his doubts on Modi. Advani told him about the meeting with Chouhan and reiterated it would be better if the announcement was delayed till November.
When Gurumurthy left Advani’s Prithviraj Road residence, it was with an assurance that the BJP leader would himself announce Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate after the assembly elections concluded.
However, the Modi brigade was becoming suspicious and anxious. Party president Rajnath Singh was facing acute pressure from Modi acolytes to bypass Advani. “Modi’s name will be announced on September 13 by the parliamentary board… if Advaniji doesn’t come (to the meeting), we will expel him,” said one of Modi’s storm troopers, a remark that found its way back to Advani.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh could have intervened if it wanted to. But its position, as conveyed to Rajnath Singh was, “Whether it is the 13th or the 23rd, we don’t care”. Rajnath Singh, therefore, had few options.
On September 13, Advani received a call from Rajnath Singh at 2.30 pm, inviting him for a meeting of the parliamentary board at 5 pm. This was the first formal intimation; Advani sought time. But meanwhile, he heard Murli Manohar Joshi’s statement Modi would be endorsed by the party in the evening. He readied for a showdown and was ready to leave for the meeting, when former party president Nitin Gadkari called to say he wouldn’t be able to speak up for Advani at the meeting.
Faced with aggressive cadres, a malicious whisper campaign and Rajnath Singh’s inability to stave off pressure, Advani decided he would not be browbeaten into submission. Though his first attack was on Rajnath Singh (he blamed Singh for violating an understanding), Advani decided the prudent course was to retreat and live to fight another day.
