BJP leadership in touch with Advani on greater role for Modi

BJP top brass held a meeting last night to sort out the loose ends and reach a consensus on the role to be assigned to Modi

Amid strong signals that Narendra Modi could be made the BJP campaign committee chief, efforts are underway by the party leadership to bring around senior leader L K Advani to support the move.

Sources said RSS and BJP leaders are in touch with Advani to convince him that naming of Modi as party's campaign committee chief would be beneficial for the party in the next general elections.

The efforts to woo Advani, who is said to be opposed to a greater role for Modi, comes amid strong indications from the National Executive meeting here that the Gujarat Chief Minister could be made the head of the campaign committee for the next Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP top brass held a meeting here last night to sort out the loose ends and reach a consensus on the role to be assigned to Modi.

Sources said Modi's supporters are keen that he be declared the Prime Ministerial candidate or at least the head of the campaign committee at the conclave.

This possibility is not being ruled out by the party top brass.

However, some of the senior leaders feel such an important decision should not be taken without keeping Advani on board.

In this context there is a possibility that an in-principle decision may be taken here, following which BJP President Rajnath Singh would meet Advani in Delhi to apprise him about it.

The announcement may come later in Delhi after a Parliamentary Board meeting.

BJP President Rajnath Singh, who does not want any factional feuds, is trying to bring the two camps together and reach a compromise.

Many leaders among the 370 delegates attending the national executive want the ambiguity to end and feel a clear message should go from the conclave to boost the enthusiasm of cadre well ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls to five states.

Advani's proposal of setting up a separate election committee for the Assembly polls has been struck off with Rajnath Singh maintaining that a single body should handle both the campaigns.