The mood at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters here after formal assumption of office by the newly elected president Rajnath Singh — hours after the top brass had stalled the second term bid of Nitin Gadkari — was sombre reflecting the rancour in the top echelons of the principal Opposition over the course of events in the past few months.
In his remarks minutes after the formal election the veteran leader from U.P. acknowledged that the circumstances in which he was stepping into Mr. Gadkari’s shoes were not good. The challenges ahead of him were evident with grim news from Karnataka that the State government was on the brink of collapse with the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa showing no signs of reconciliation despite the change of guard in New Delhi.
Senior leader L.K. Advani, who left no stone unturned to prevail upon the RSS not to foist Mr. Gadkari on the party ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election, was blunt with his remark that it was time for the BJP to regain its lost ground as a party with a difference and not differences.
The immediate test for Mr. Singh is to ensure that all senior leaders with prime ministerial ambitions are on board particularly as he is not the unanimous choice. It is well known that during his earlier stint as party chief Mr. Singh did not have the best of equations with Mr. Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley.
Now, the only consolation for Mr. Singh came from warm greetings from Mr. Modi. “I called up Shri Rajnath Singh ji and congratulated him. He brings with him vast experience of both organisation and administration,” Mr. Modi tweeted on social networking site Twitter. “He has always been associated with the farmers. BJP will gain from this,” he said in a second tweet.
A crestfallen Gadkari talked about a conspiracy to deny him a second term. “As far as the election for the second term is concerned, there had been a political conspiracy to link me with a subject with which I had no direct or indirect involvement,” he said in a statement.
Remarks by senior RSS leader M.G. Vaidya to reporters in Nagpur left little scope for doubt about the conviction among influential sections in the RSS that Mr. Gadkari became victim of intrigues within the BJP.
A clear-cut division in the higher ranks of the BJP over his continuance as chief for a second term, prompted Mr. Gadkari to quit the post.
Keywords: BJP president election, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, IT raids
Mr.Rajnath Singh taking over Presidentship from Mr.Nitin Gadkari is a
welcome sign in BJP.BJP which was once considered as "Disciplined
Party" had unfortunately lots its path with "Indiscipline" creeping
amongst Party leaders and Congress Party reaping benefit from BJP
infighting during Elections.India felt BJP is alternative to Congress
Party,and The Nation wanted BJP to replace Congress by coming to Power
at The Center.Under the leadership of Rajnath Singh,India hopes BJP
will bury the differences amongst its leaders and work for dislodging
UPA Government at The Center in 2014 Elections.People are anguished to
see UPA's performance,most of UPA's decisions are ANTI PEOPLE,and PRO
RICH.In the name of Economic Reforms Mr.Manmohan Singh as Prime
Minister of India prefered to sacrifice People's interests,from
WELFARE STATE India today had become a CAPITALIST STATE.Its time
Rajnath Singh start working seriously to see BJP replaces UPA at The
Center in 2014 General elections.
The decision to make Mr. Rajnath Singh as the President is a good one at the most appropriate time. The issues faced by the party as a whole are too many to digest. Mr. Rajnath is a simple man of few words and his non scam tainted image will defintely help him. He has climbed the organisational ladder slowly but very steadily. He has represented the party in Legislative Assembly / Council and both in the Rajya sabha and Lok Sabha. He moves well with the common people in the streets and this will help the party in the long run.
People are angry and disillusioned with Congress ruling. But in absence of better alternative votes against Congress are always divided. Congress very well know this and it deliberately creates environment to divide anti Congress votes. To present BJP as best alternative so that anti Congress votes are not divided will be biggest challenge for Rajnath Singh.He has also to look into internal factions within his party so that public get confidence over BJP leadership.
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