Amid controversy over BJP veteran leader L K Advani’s “boycott” of the party’s Goa meet, BJP announced Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as head of the Lok Sabha campaign committee.
The move heralds the emergence of a “gennext” leader post the Advani-Vajpayee era; the moment rendered all the more dramatic as it comes in spite of Advani’s entrenched resistance.
The decision to override Advani’s views marks a sharp decline in the leader’s influence and sets the stage for Modi’s projection as a PM candidate well before the 2014 polls. Advani did not attend a national executive meet for the first time since the BJP was founded to register his disapproval. He leads a long list of top party leaders who were opposed to Modi’s anointment, including Sushma Swaraj, who was sitting beside Rajnath Singh when he made an announcement to the media.
Most of BJP leaders of Himachal Pradesh has welcomed the move and were also vocal about his elevation within the party. Most of BJP state leaders believed that Narendra Modi as the Lok Sabha campaign committee will pump the energy in the party cadre as BJP has gained more sense of energy, dynamism and creativity that is not matched anywhere in any party.
Former Chief Minister and leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha Prem kumar Dhumal has thanked Party national president Rajnath Singh for it. He said that Narender Modi will steer BJP in power in Delhi and in 2014 in Lok Sabha election.
