BJP divided house attempts united show
26 May 2012 1:59 AM GMT
The feuds within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) do not seem to end. If the infighting within the party units in Karnataka and Rajasthan was not enough, differences within the national leadership cropped up on Friday, with the senior leader L K Advani and the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj giving a miss to a rally scheduled in Mumbai. While, on the one hand, it does seem that the BJP president Nitin Gadkari and the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi have buried their differences, the skipping of rally by the two senior leaders has reignited the debate on the differences within the party.
Interestingly, Advani was not present on Thursday at the national executive of the party when it passed a resolution to amend the party constitution that would allow a president to continue for two consecutive terms. This amendment may allow Gadkari to continue as the president of the party if he is re-elected in December. Sources in the party indicate that some senior leaders are not happy with Gadkari's possible extension.
Previously too there have been differences between Gadkari and Swaraj. Last year, over the appointment of the chief vigilance commissioner (CVC) P J Thomas, the party president had said that the BJP would not let the issue die down, whereas Swaraj had said that the issue be laid to rest as the prime minister accepted the responsibility for Thomas's appointment.
Swaraj's relation with Modi have also not been great. In 2010, she had mentioned that the magic of Modi did not work everywhere. Her statement led to an advertisement by the party projecting Modi as the leader who can take the reins of the party.
Sources in the party indicate that Advani skipped the rally as he was not keen to share the dais with the former chief minister of Karnataka B S Yeddyurappa. During Advani's Jan Chetna Yatra in November 2011, Yeddyurappa not only skipped it but also ensured that some of his minister did not attend it. Advani had gone to the extent of saying that Yeddyurappa had embarrassed the party.
The BJP, however, denied that there was a rift in the party. 'It is a complete baseless report that senior leaders are unhappy with the affairs of the party,' said the party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad. He added that Advani had informed about his decision not to attend the rally four days ago, as he had prior commitments. Swaraj later tweeted, 'I respect and honour all decisions of the party, please do not draw any other conclusions, i must reach Delhi tonight as i have to leave early morning for an important function in U.P tomorrow.'
Gadkari, in his inaugural speech at the national executive in Mumbai, had stressed the need for unity and discipline in the party.
At the rally on Friday, the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, Raman Singh and Shivraj Singh respectively, focussed on the performance of their respective governments, but all ears were on what Modi would speak.
Modi chose to show his national stature and opened a broadside against the UPA government. He called it a Nirmal Baba sarkar. 'Like Nirmal Baba, who wants to cure the ills of his followers by giving them rosgullas to eat, this government in Delhi is saying to the people of the country “Give us the mandate to rule and we will bring down inflation”,' Modi said.
NDA WANTS MAMATA AS ALLY
Virtually inviting the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to rejoin the National Democratic Alliance, the BJP said on Friday that she should 'take a call' on the issue, considering her 'suffocation' in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
'As far as Mamata Banerjee is concerned, I can only say that she has worked with us, has been a minister in the Vajpayee government,’ its spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Interestingly, Advani was not present on Thursday at the national executive of the party when it passed a resolution to amend the party constitution that would allow a president to continue for two consecutive terms. This amendment may allow Gadkari to continue as the president of the party if he is re-elected in December. Sources in the party indicate that some senior leaders are not happy with Gadkari's possible extension.
Previously too there have been differences between Gadkari and Swaraj. Last year, over the appointment of the chief vigilance commissioner (CVC) P J Thomas, the party president had said that the BJP would not let the issue die down, whereas Swaraj had said that the issue be laid to rest as the prime minister accepted the responsibility for Thomas's appointment.
Swaraj's relation with Modi have also not been great. In 2010, she had mentioned that the magic of Modi did not work everywhere. Her statement led to an advertisement by the party projecting Modi as the leader who can take the reins of the party.
Sources in the party indicate that Advani skipped the rally as he was not keen to share the dais with the former chief minister of Karnataka B S Yeddyurappa. During Advani's Jan Chetna Yatra in November 2011, Yeddyurappa not only skipped it but also ensured that some of his minister did not attend it. Advani had gone to the extent of saying that Yeddyurappa had embarrassed the party.
The BJP, however, denied that there was a rift in the party. 'It is a complete baseless report that senior leaders are unhappy with the affairs of the party,' said the party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad. He added that Advani had informed about his decision not to attend the rally four days ago, as he had prior commitments. Swaraj later tweeted, 'I respect and honour all decisions of the party, please do not draw any other conclusions, i must reach Delhi tonight as i have to leave early morning for an important function in U.P tomorrow.'
Gadkari, in his inaugural speech at the national executive in Mumbai, had stressed the need for unity and discipline in the party.
At the rally on Friday, the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, Raman Singh and Shivraj Singh respectively, focussed on the performance of their respective governments, but all ears were on what Modi would speak.
Modi chose to show his national stature and opened a broadside against the UPA government. He called it a Nirmal Baba sarkar. 'Like Nirmal Baba, who wants to cure the ills of his followers by giving them rosgullas to eat, this government in Delhi is saying to the people of the country “Give us the mandate to rule and we will bring down inflation”,' Modi said.
NDA WANTS MAMATA AS ALLY
Virtually inviting the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to rejoin the National Democratic Alliance, the BJP said on Friday that she should 'take a call' on the issue, considering her 'suffocation' in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
'As far as Mamata Banerjee is concerned, I can only say that she has worked with us, has been a minister in the Vajpayee government,’ its spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
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