Advani Mulls Retirement From Active Politics

BJP president L K Advani is contemplating retirement from active politics after his term as party president ends in November.

An RSS functionary revealed that Advani is tired of the cut and thrust of politics and wants to distance himself from active politics, although he is willing to work for the party and its sister organisations from backstage.

A couple of party leaders who are close to Advani confirmed that he wants to exit from the rough and tumble of the political arena. In an interview to India Today, the BJP leader said he was growing old (he will turn 70 soon), although he refused to disclose his future plans.

 

One of Advanis high-profile personal aides is reportedly looking for a job in the private sector since he will become redundant once Advani quits active politics.

Advani had acquired a larger-than-life aura after his leadership of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. However, his political career came under a cloud after the CBI filed charges against him in the multi-crore hawala case. Advani had then vowed not to contest any elections unless he was exonerated from the charges.

Apparently, Advani became embittered in the following months as he found himself increasingly marginalised in the party. A B Vajpayee was almost exclusively projected as the party leader during the 1996 elections, unlike 1991, when the two were projected as equals.

After Advani was cleared in the hawala case, his top priority was to tell people that he was innocent. Having done that through his recent yatra, Advani is contemplating resigning from active politics.