Modi elevation done, race for his deputies begins

Intense lobbying begins for posts that could go vacant post Modi's elevation

Although Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has expressed no desire to step down from the chairmanship of the campaign committee or appoint a deputy in Gujarat, his supporters are putting pressure on him to let them assist him. This could lead to a significant churn in the leadership of the BJP in Gujarat and Delhi in the coming weeks.
 

The campaign committee chief will not only decide the outline of the party’s campaign activity but will have a significant say in deciding candidates in the Lok Sabha election. 
 

Party leaders says the party’s campaign committee activity has slowed down significantly. Alliances have to be sewn up, conflict with allies has to be avoided and candidates have to be chosen. The party hasn’t done any of this so far.
 

If Modi is to be the face of the BJP all over India, it is highly unlikely that he will have time to run the campaign, run Gujarat and also travel the length and breadth of the country.
 

A senior leader of the party said, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley was the frontrunner for the post of the campaign committee chief. 
 

“Jaitley is lobbying very hard for the post,” said the leader. 
 

A deputy chief minister is likely to be appointed in the days immediately before the Lok Sabha polls of 2014, when Modi will be more occupied with election rallies. Party insiders said Modi fears an alternative power structure in Gujarat, hence, is likely to appoint one of his loyalists. Among those who could be considered include Anandiben Patel, revenue minister in Gujarat, and Purshottam Rupala, a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat. Earlier, speaking to Business Standard, Rupala said, “I should be considered. I am the senior-most leader in Gujarat.” 
 

Meanwhile, the BJP has decided to leave a sulking Lal Krishna Advani to fend for himself, even as the party patriarch tried reaching out to Modi in his Korba rally on Monday. The party is not going to take any disciplinary action against the leader, nor would any emissary be going to Advani to placate him. 
 

BJP leaders close to Advani said his concerns over Modi’s elevation were conveyed by Sushma Swaraj to the BJP’s Parliamentary Board on the day of Modi’s appointment. These were seconded by former BJP President Nitin Gadkari, but in a much more muted way.

 

Advani believes because of Modi’s elevation the anti-congress movement will be hijacked by an anti-Modi campaign. Modi’s elevation will substantially damage BJP’s prospects of attracting any allies. Finally, in case of BJP losing in any of the states in the upcoming Assembly elections, the defeat will be read as a defeat of Modi, so his elevation should be delayed.