BJP divided over 'sole inclusion' of Modi on parliamentary board

Some leaders feel both Modi and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan be included in the board

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh's proposal to include only Narendra Modi of Gujarat from among the party's chief ministers in central parliamentary board is being opposed by a section of seniors. These leaders want two chief ministers to be included in the team.

Seniors indicated Singh was keen to only include Modi in the board to ensure there was no ambiguity in the minds of the party cadre, as well as the people, that the leadership was backing Modi and he would lead the party's selection & campaign committee during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

During his previous stint as BJP president, Singh was responsible for Modi's ouster from the parliamentary board. He had argued as Modi was a chief minister, he shouldn't be allowed to decide the fates of other party chief ministers.

Now, a section of the senior leadership feels Modi alone shouldn't be included, as one BJP chief minister shouldn't be allowed to dabble in the affairs of another party-led state government. Some leaders, led by L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj, feel both Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan be included in the board.

Some BJP and National Democratic Alliance chief ministers feel Chouhan would be included to ensure senior party members aren't offended. "We don't know when the decision would be taken. But I believe whenever a decision is made, Modi and Chouhan would be made part of the parliamentary board at the same time," said a senior, also a chief minister.

The party's parliamentary board has 12 members. As board member Balwant Apte had passed away last year, a position had fallen vacant. The leadership is working on the possibility of dropping an existing member to make way for both Modi and Chouhan.

Some leaders said both chief ministers could also be made part of the board as special representatives.