Will Friday the 13th be lucky for Modi?

The plan to anoint Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as prime ministerial candidate had to be tweaked at the last minute with the party leadership all set to steamroll opposition within the BJP parliamentary board. 

At a late night meeting on Thursday between BJP president Rajnath Singh, organisation secretary Ram Lal, former BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Ananth Kumar, it was decided that Modi’s name would be announced on Friday since the RSS did not brook any resistance.

During the late night meetings, it was also decided to call the parliamentary board meeting on Friday evening, where the final stamp on Modi’s anointment would be put. The announcement is scheduled to come despite a staunchly-resistant old guard led by LK Advani refusing to come under pressure of Modi’s supporters who tried to persuade him through consultations. They also brought pressure by fielding veterans like Advani’s protege Sushil Modi to lead an assault on him in public.

Advani’s camp reciprocated the attack by letting loose his former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni who launched an extraordinarily caustic assault on Narendra Modi by calling him a leader who has polarised his own party. Once Kulkarni was out with his comments, it was clear that the Advani camp was in no mood to give up without a fight. The veteran made it clear that he would register his protest in the parliamentary board meeting, where Modi’s name is scheduled to be announced.

Emissaries were dispatched to Advani’s residence to break the ice and bring him along. Those who visited Advani during the day included former party president M Venkaiah Naidu and BJP general secretary Murlidhar Rao, but it was not of much avail as Advani refused to bite the bullet. Meanwhile, party president Rajnath Singh who had met Advani and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Wednesday night, met Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj on Thursday evening. 

Swaraj later held a two-hour meeting with BJP leader Ananth Kumar and it was decided that she would cancel her Ambala trip. The BJP chief also met RSS general secretary Bhaiyaji Joshi. It is learnt RSS has once again reiterated support for Modi. Earlier, Rajnath Singh who has been trying to evolve a consensus over Modi’s candidature denied any reports of rift within party. 

He also said the party’s parliamentary board meeting would be convened to take the final call on Modi’s projection.