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DID ADVANI GAVE RAJNATH A RAW DEAL?
By M H AHSAN
A fresh controversy questioning the legitimacy of Rajnath Singh's
appointment as BJP president seems to have broken out in the already
divided Sangh Parivar. A section of party leaders want to know why
proper procedure wasn't followed while appointing Singh as party chief
in Mumbai and why his candidacy wasn't endorsed before the formal
announcement, especially when so much is being made of the
Constitution being followed.
The BJP National Council will meet here on January 20 to ratify
Singh's appointment.
A senior leader said Singh was definitely more qualified for the job
than any of the other young leaders but his name should have been
placed before the National Executive in Mumbai. Another party leader
said: "If it wasn't done, then it should have been endorsed at the
plenary or a meeting of office-bearers or in the BJP Parliamentary
Board. Since proper procedure hasn't been followed, a question mark
has arisen over the legitimacy of the take-over. His (Singh's) name
was finalised by Advaniji and Atalji in consultation with the Sangh
but why was he treated so shabbily? First, they denied any decision
regarding him had been taken, and then they merely announced his
appointment at a press conference without going through the norms."
A sizable section feels Singh wasn't given due importance because
Advani's coterie thought that if his name was officially announced
before the Mumbai conclave, then the spotlight would be on him rather
than on the outgoing president, for whom the entire tamasha had been
organised. All through the conclave, Singh was made to sit in the back
row while others hogged the limelight. Even at the public meeting, he
wasn't on the dais. "This isn't the way to treat your president. After
all, he has been chief minister and Union minister and was also a
senior office-bearer of the party," the leader said.
And for those who thought the tussle in the BJP would be over after
the changeover, there's disappointment on the cards. Lobbying has
already begun within the Sangh to replace Jaswant Singh as leader of
the opposition in Rajya Sabha. The argument being: How can Rajputs
hold the positions of both BJP chief and leader of the opposition in
the Upper House? Advani had been very careful and even though he
hadn't got approval for Singh's name in Mumbai, he had made it known
through various leaders that his position as leader of the opposition
in Lok Sabha was secure. Now, it seems Jaswant Singh will have to use
all his influence with Vajpayee and Advani to hold on to his position.
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