Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi skipped the national executive committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which began on Friday to take stock of the political situation in the country and to formulate a strategy to take on the ruling Congress on the issue of corruption.
Barring Mr. Modi and former Karantaka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, all prominent BJP leaders attended the two-day national meet of the party.
Mr. Modi’s absence from the crucial meeting comes in the backdrop of talks of differences between him and senior party leader L.K. Advani.
The BJP’s central leadership has however been silent on reports of the growing rift between Mr. Modi and Mr. Advani. Mr. Modi is said to be unhappy with Mr. Advani’s yatra for good governance and clean politics starting on October 11.
The meeting was attended by all other Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Prem Singh Dhumal, Raman Singh, Sadanand Gowda and Arjun Munda.
The programme started with the ceremonial lighting of lamp by Mr. Advani. BJP president Nitin Gadkari, both Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushama Swaraj and Arun Jaitely, shared the dais with Mr. Advani.
