BJP to discuss its election strategy for Bihar

June 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Patna (Bihar), June 11 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold a two-day National Executive meeting beginning on Saturday in Patna to discuss its election strategy for Bihar.

The party is expected to launch its campaign in the State, where it is a major partner in the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) Government.

This will also be a test for BJP President Nitin Gadkari, as this will be the party”s first electoral challenge after he took over the reigns.

The BJP is expected to go all out against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre for its alleged step motherly treatment towards non-Congress states and highlight its failures.

The failure of the Central Government to control rising prices and Naxalism would also figure in the resolutions.

“The top BJP leadership will minutely scrutinise the UPA Government”s performance in reference to its handling of terrorism and economy, Naxalite insurgency and the step motherly treatment meted to non-Congress, non-UPA governments in the states,” said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.

A ”Rashtriya Swabhiman” (national pride) rally will be held at the conclusion of the meet, which will be addressed by top party leaders signalling the launch of the Bihar campaign.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be a prominent speaker in the rally, as this will be his first visit to Bihar after becoming Chief Minister in October 2001.

Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states will be attending the National Executive meeting, during which the party is expected to focus on the achievements of the Janata Dal-United Government led by Nitish Kumar in Bihar, which has logged 11 percent growth rate in the last five years. (ANI)

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Jharkhand impasse: BJP fails to take final call

May 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 15 (ANI): The political crisis in Jharkhand continues with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) core committee failing on Saturday to take a decision on government formation in the state.

On Friday, the BJP leadership reviewed Jharkhand developments and considered the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha”s (JMM) offer of leading the JMM-BJP coalition in the State.

Three rounds of meetings were held over a six-hour period.

The BJP has, so far, maintained that its chief minister would lead the state for the next four-and-a-half years, while the JMM has been insisting on a rotational arrangement, with each chief minister (BJP’s and then JMM’s) getting 28 months each.

BJP vice president Prakash Javdekar said there was no urgency to take a decision.

He said there is a functioning government in Jharkhand and the party would come out with its decision under its own time frame.

Meanwhile, the Congress has hinted that it might demand imposition of President”s Rule if the stalemate continues.

Party spokesman Shakil Ahmed said the Congress has not staked a claim to form a government in the state.

The JMM-BJP coalition government plunged into crisis after the BJP withdrew support to Chief Minister Shibu Soren’s government after he voted in favour of the UPA during a cut motion in Parliament on April 27.

However, by April 29 the party received a letter from Hemant Soren, the son of the chief minister, offering support to the BJP in leading the coalition. (ANI)

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RSS chief calls on former PM Vajpayee

September 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep.4 (ANI): The chief of the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS), Mohan Rao Bhagwat, met former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the national capital on Friday.

Bhagwat is said to have inquired after Vajpayee’s health. The two leaders are also believed to have discussed the latest crisis engulfing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Last month, all eyes were on Bhagwat as he visited New Delhi for discussions with the BJP leadership.

Bhagwat had then said that BJP leaders LK Advani and Rajnath Singh would decide on their role within the party.

Talking to reporters then, Bhagwat said, “Rajnathji, Advaniji and others will decide on their role in the party. Everything will be fine in the BJP in future.”

“There are people with moral standing like Advani and under their guidance, they will solve all problems. We have nothing to do with this,” he added

While the BJP had said that Rajnath Singh will not get an extension as party president beyond his three-year term that ends in December, there were reports that Advani may step down as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha but the timing for it has been left to him.

Bhagwat had a breakfast meeting with Advani and had discussions with other senior leaders.

The meeting took place amid reports that the RSS has readied a succession plan for the BJP.

However, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters at a press conference that no succession plan was discussed.

The RSS is believed to have told the BJP leadership to set its house in order. That this is being given serious thought was evident when top brass of the BJP met at Advani”s residence for about two hours and briefed him about their discussions with Bhagwat on Friday.

Sources said the RSS has firmly asked BJP leaders to end the infighting in the party and reach consensus on a new party chief. (ANI)

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No leadership role likely for ‘lateral entrants’ in BJP

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.31 (ANI): ‘Lateral entrants’, a term coined for non-RSS workers, are in for tough days ahead in the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In the wake of recent wrangling in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) followed by the exit of senior leader Jaswant Singh and L.K. Advani’s aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, the party has decided to clip the feathers of ‘lateral’ entrants. It literally implies that the members, who are non-swayamsewaks, will no more be able to enjoy the power and clout they used to till recent past.

A senior leader, seeking anonymity, said, ” BJP has decided that the next BJP President will be a swayamsewak and will not be a ‘ lateral entry’. This will further strengthen the chances of hardcore RSS workers-Arun Jaitley, Bal Apte and Narendra Modi-being appointed as the new bosses of the organisation and put to rest speculations about Sushma Swaraj becoming the new President of the party after Rajnath Singh’s three-year term comes to its end by the end of this year.

According to a top BJP source, the cadres of the party are deeply pained by the recent statements made by Jaswant Singh and Advani’s aide Sudheendra Kulkarni who left the party citing that he has fundamental differences with BJP’s ideology.

Party believes that cadres across the country are deeply anguished by the conduct of ‘lateral’ entrants who enjoyed enormous power and were aspirants of holding top jobs if party had won. But they defected after the party lost in the elections.

According to sources, although party will downsize the clout of non-swayamsewaks in party affairs, it will not bar their entry into the party.

Source told ANI that BJP would welcome lateral entrants into the party in future on the basis of their professional ability and capacity.

It is learnt that RSS chief in his recent meetings with the BJP leadership had suggested that they should trim the role of lateral entrants in the BJP and promote swayamsewaks in the party.

Taking a dig at the so called intellectuals, who form the major chunk of ‘lateral entrants’ in the party, top source also said: “We have competent cadres who can speak good English and also write a book.”

Admitting that the generational change in the party is imminent, party sources also indicated that Advani will continue to guide the party with his experience and moral authority even after he steps down as the leader of Opposition. By Naveen Kapoor(ANI)

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Sushma Swaraj meets Jaswant Singh

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug 31 (ANI): The deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj met the expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh at his residence on Monday.

According to sources, Swaraj sought for an appointment to meet Singh in the morning but the reasons for the meeting is still not known.

The BJP expelled Singh who is representing the Darjeeling constituency on Aug 19, two days after the launch of his controversial book “Jinnah: India, Partition and Independence” the biography of Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

The meeting of the two is significant as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat categorically asked the BJP leadership to set the house in order at the earliest and to stop the infighting.

The series of meetings between Sangh top brass and BJP central leadership has resolved to set up a co-ordination committee comprising of former vice president of India Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Murli Manohar Joshi among others.

Earlier, former RSS chief K.S.Sudarshan met Leader of Opposition L.K.Advani. Sudarshan was heading the RSS when Advani was forced to resign following his statement on Jinnah in 2005(ANI)

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RSS chief Bhagwat says Advani, Rajnath will decide role in BJP

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Haridwar, Aug 31(ANI): Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said that BJP leaders LK Advani and Rajnath Singh will decide on their role within the party.

Talking to reporters here, Bhagwat said, “Rajnathji, Advaniji and others will decide on their role in the party. Everything will be fine in the BJP in future.”

“There are people with moral standing like Advani and under their guidance, they will solve all problems. We have nothing to do with this,” he added

While the BJP had said that Rajnath Singh will not get an extension as party president beyond his three-year term that ends in December, there were reports that Advani may step down as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha but the timing for it has been left to him.

Bhagwat had a breakfast meeting with Advani on Sunday and had discussions with other senior leaders.

Sunday’s breakfast meeting between Advani and Bhagwat was the second between the two. They had earlier met on Saturday afternoon for about two hours at the RSS headquarters Keshavkunj in Delhi to discuss various issues.

Saturday’s meeting took place amid reports that the RSS has readied a succession plan for the BJP. However, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters at a press conference that no succession plan was discussed.

The RSS is believed to have told the BJP leadership to set its house in order. That this is being given serious thought was evident when top brass of the BJP met at Advani’s residence yesterday morning for about two hours and briefed him about their discussions with Bhagwat on Friday.

Sources said the RSS has firmly asked BJP leaders to end the infighting in the party and reach consensus on a new party chief. (ANI)

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Advani may step down before next Parliament session

August 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.30 (ANI: Leader of Opposition L.K.Advani is likely to step down from his post before the next session of Parliament as part of the BJP succession plan formula, sources said.

As per the plan, reportedly devised by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), there is also a move to put in place an advisory body of senior BJP leaders, which will include the names of Advani, former Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

The developments came even as RSS Chief Mohan Bhawat met Advani at breakfast on Sunday morning to discuss current and emerging issues in the BJP.

After the meeting, senior RSS leader Madan Das Devi told a press conference on Sunday morning that he was confident about the BJP resolving its problems.

“We (RSS) are hopeful that the crisis in the BJP will be resolved. The RSS is assured that the BJP will overcome all problems,” Devi said.

“We all think that a large party such as the BJP has the capability of being given new direction and end its problems. Important BJP leaders met leaders of the RSS. Shri L.K.Advani and other senior BJP leaders met us. We discussed issues of national importance, party issues etc. They have assured us that the problems of the party will be resolved,” Devi added.

Sunday’s breakfast meeting between Advani and Bhagwat was the second between the two. They had earlier met on Saturday afternoon for about two hours at the RSS headquarters in Delhi – Keshavkunj to discuss various issues.

Saturday’s meeting took place amid reports that the RSS has readied a succession plan for the BJP. However, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters at a press conference that no succession plan was discussed.

The RSS is believed to have told the BJP leadership to set its house in order. In a sign that this is being given serious thought, top brass of the BJP met at Advani’s residence yesterday morning for about two hours and briefed him about their discussions with Bhagwat on Friday.

The Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) reportedly asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership this morning to work on a blue print that it has handed over to ensure a smooth succession.

According to sources, Leader of Opposition L K Advani has been asked to preside over the exercise.

Sources also said that Advani had been told to step down after ensuring speedy implementation of the plan, but the RSS has left the timing of Advani’s exit to him. (ANI)

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Breakfast meeting between Advani, RSS chief

August 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.30 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had a breakfast meeting with senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K.Advani on Sunday morning, and it is believed that both discussed a proposed succession plan for the latter.

The meeting ended a short while ago, even as the leaderships of the two parties reiterated that they were united in working on solutions to end the present crisis in the BJP.

Sunday’s breakfast meeting between Advani and Bhagwat was the second between the two. They had earlier met on Saturday afternoon for about two hours at the RSS headquarters in Delhi – Keshavkunj to discuss various issues.

Saturday’s meeting took place amid reports that the RSS has readied a succession plan for the BJP. However, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters at a press conference that no succession plan was discussed.

The RSS is believed to have told the BJP leadership to set its house in order. In a sign that this is being given serious thought, top brass of the BJP met at Advani’s residence yesterday morning for about two hours and briefed him about their discussions with Bhagwat on Friday.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj joined other party colleagues – Arun Jaitely, Ananth Kumar and M.Venkaiah Naidu at the residence of Advani to reportedly discuss a viable succession plan.

It is reliably learnt that though there are no immediate plans to change in the top leadership, a succession plan is being readied in consultation with the RSS.

Sources said the RSS has firmly asked BJP leaders to end the infighting in the party and reach a consensus on a new party chief.

The decision to call Jaitley and Swaraj together to a meeting at the RSS headquarters is seen as very significant, as they are the leading contenders for the party leadership, sparking speculation that a power-sharing arrangement might have been arrived at.

Jaitley looks the front-runner for the party chief”s job while Swaraj is tipped to take over from Advani as Leader of Opposition. If implemented, the party could see Naidu becoming Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, a post currently held by Jaitley.

The RSS has felt that if the factionalism is not quickly resolved, the issue could prolong till the end of the year.

Sunday’s breakfast meeting took place even as senior Rashtriya Swayam Sewak (RSS) leader Madan Das Devi told a press conference on the same day that he was confident about the BJP taking appropriate steps to resolve all of its problems.

“We (RSS) are hopeful that the crisis in the BJP will be resolved. The RSS is assured that the BJP will overcome all problems. We all think that a large party such as the BJP has the capability of being given new direction and end its problems. Important BJP leaders met leaders of the RSS. Shri L.K.Advani and other senior BJP leaders met us. We discussed issues of national importance, party issues etc. They have assured us that the problems of the party will be resolved,” he said.

At Sunday’s breakfast meeting Bhagwat was accompanied by Madandas Devi, and it is expected that discussions on a new roadmap for the BJP, including a possible change of leadership, will continue.

Sources said the BJP will most likely announce a succession plan on Sunday. It is indicated that individual responsibilities in the party would be finalised in the coming weeks.

There were indications that BJP could come out with some statement tomorrow, but RSS sources said nothing spectacular could be expected.

Advani is reportedly under pressure from rebels to step down as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

Various names are under consideration, including Arun Jaitely, Sushma Swaraj and Bal Apte. However, both the RSS and the BJP have maintained that they were not discussing any succession plan. (ANI)

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Advani’s meeting with RSS chief ends

August 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.29 (ANI): Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani’s nearly two-hour-long meeting with Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat ended on Saturday a short while ago.

Sources, however, did not reveal what had been discussed at the meeting.

Advani had arrived at the RSS’s Delhi headquarters – Keshavkunj – at around 3 p.m. for a meeting with Bhagwat.

The meeting took place amid reports that the RSS has readied a succession plan for the BJP, a plan that could facilitate an end to the internal crisis ravaging the party’s rank and file. However, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters at a press conference that no succession plan has been discussed.

The RSS is believed to have told the BJP leadership to set its house in order. In a sign that this is being given serious thought, top brass of the BJP met at Advani’s residence this morning for about two hours and briefed him about their discussions with Bhagwat on Friday.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj had joined other party colleagues – Arun Jaitely, Ananth Kumar and M.Venkaiah Naidu at the residence of Advani to reportedly discuss a viable succession plan.

It is reliably learnt that though there are no immediate changes in the top leadership, a succession plan is being readied after discussions with the RSS on Friday night.

Sources said that the RSS has firmly asked BJP leaders to end infighting in the party and reach a consensus on a new party chief.

The decision to call Jaitley and Swaraj together to a meeting at the RSS headquarters is seen as very significant, as they are the leading contenders for the party leadership, sparking speculation that a power-sharing arrangement might have been arrived at.

Jaitley looks the front-runner for the party chief”s job while Swaraj is tipped to take over from Advani as Leader of Opposition. If implemented, the party could see Naidu becoming Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, a post currently held by Jaitley.

The RSS has felt that if the factionalism is not quickly resolved, the issue could prolong till the end of the year. (ANI)

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Advani, BJP leaders have not discussed a succession plan: Javadeka

August 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.29 (ANI): Leader of Opposition L. K. Advani and other leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not discussion a succession plan, as was being projected in the media, said a party spokesman on Saturday.

Prakash Javadekar told a press conference that the BJP’s parent organization – the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) had not chalked out a succession plan on Friday, and neither had the BJP leadership discussed the issue at Saturday’s meeting at Advani’s residence in the national capital.

‘No succession plan was discussed. No change in leadership or posts was discussed,” Javadekar, adding that over the past couple of days, the RSS had only come forward with suggestions that could “Pave the way for a more smooth functioning of the BJP”.

Reacting to the comments that were being aired in the media by expelled party leader Jaswant Singh against the BJP and its present leadership, Javadekar said:

“We continue to respect Jaswant Singh even after his comments. We don’t want to say anything. But the fact of the matter is that if a leader who once belonged to the BJP and spoke well of it while he was a member for years, now chooses to criticize its policies on the hour, the people will realize soon enough who is right and who is wrong.”

Jaswant Singh has been targeting Advani on the latter’s views on Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and his role in the 1999 Kandahar hijack case and the July 2008 Cash for Vote scam.

Javadekar’s statement to the media came as Advani arrived at the RSS’s Delhi headquarters – Keshavkunj – for a meeting with its chief Mohan Bhagwat.

The meeting is taking place amid reports that the RSS has readied a succession plan for the BJP, a plan that could facilitate an end to the internal crisis ravaging the party’s rank and file.

The RSS is believed to have told the BJP leadership to set its house in order. In a sign that this is being given serious thought, top brass of the BJP met at Advani’s residence this morning for about two hours and briefed him about their discussions with Bhagwat on Friday.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj had joined other party colleagues – Arun Jaitely, Ananth Kumar and M.Venkaiah Naidu at the residence of Advani to reportedly discuss a viable succession plan.

It is reliably learnt that though there are no immediate changes in the top leadership, a succession plan is being readied after discussions with the RSS on Friday night.

Sources said that the RSS has firmly asked BJP leaders to end infighting in the party and reach a consensus on a new party chief.

The decision to call Jaitley and Swaraj together to a meeting at the RSS headquarters is seen as very significant, as they are the leading contenders for the party leadership, sparking speculation that a power-sharing arrangement might have been arrived at.

Jaitley looks the front-runner for the party chief’s job while Swaraj is tipped to take over from Advani as Leader of Opposition. If implemented, the party could see Naidu becoming Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, a post currently held by Jaitley.

The RSS has felt that if the factionalism is not quickly resolved, the issue could prolong till the end of the year. (ANI)

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Advani arrives at RSS headquarters to meet Bhagwat

August 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.29 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior BJP leader L.K.Advani has arrived at the RSS’s Delhi headquarters – Keshavkunj – for a meeting with its chief Mohan Bhagwat.

The meeting is taking place amid reports that the RSS has readied a succession plan for the BJP, a plan that could facilitate an end to the internal crisis ravaging the party’s rank and file.

The RSS is believed to have told the BJP leadership to set its house in order. In a sign that this is being given serious thought, top brass of the BJP met at Advani’s residence this morning for about two hours and briefed him about their discussions with Bhagwat on Friday.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj had joined other party colleagues – Arun Jaitely, Ananth Kumar and M.Venkaiah Naidu at the residence of Advani to reportedly discuss a viable succession plan.

It is reliably learnt that though there are no immediate changes in the top leadership, a succession plan is being readied after discussions with the RSS on Friday night.

ources said that the RSS has firmly asked BJP leaders to end infighting in the party and reach a consensus on a new party chief.

The decision to call Jaitley and Swaraj together to a meeting at the RSS headquarters is seen as very significant, as they are the leading contenders for the party leadership, sparking speculation that a power-sharing arrangement might have been arrived at.

Jaitley looks the front-runner for the party chief’s job while Swaraj is tipped to take over from Advani as Leader of Opposition. If implemented, the party could see Naidu becoming Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, a post currently held by Jaitley.

The RSS has felt that if the factionalism is not quickly resolved, the issue could prolong till the end of the year. (ANI)

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Now, Maneka Gandhi terms Jaswant Singh’s expulsion as unfair

August 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.29 (ANI): BJP Member of Parliament from the Aonla constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Maneka Gandhi, on Saturday extended her support to expelled party leader Jaswant Singh, saying that the party leadership had treated him unfairly with regard to his latest book on Jinnah.

Gandhi said that the decision taken at the Chintan Baithak in Shimla last week was uncalled for. She said that the BJP leadership should have read Jaswant Singh’s book first before taking a decision to expel him on disciplinary grounds.

Gandhi’s reaction came a day after Singh filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Gujarat Government’s decision to ban his latest book – Jinnah -India, Partition, Independence.

Deploring the ban of the book, Singh has already said that books are a medium of expression in the country, and professed the right to freedom of speech and expression.

He claimed that a ban on books actually means a ban on thinking.

“I am greatly saddened by it because the other example takes you to Salman Rusdie and Satanic Verses. The day we start banning books in India, we are banning thinking,” Jaswant had said while returning back from Shimla after his expulsion from the BJP last week.

The Narendra Modi-led Gujarat Government had banned the sale of Singh””s book in the State last week.

The Gujarat Government blamed Jaswant””s book for denigrating the image of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was a Gujarati and held in high esteem by people across Gujarat and rest of the India for his role during India””s freedom struggle against the British rulers.

Jaswant observes in his book that Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel together conceded Pakistan to Jinnah with help from the British.

Patel occupies a pride of place in BJP””s historiography with the party eulogising his tough action for the integration of rebellious Hyderabad and Junagarh with the Union, and contrasting it with the Nehru””s “blunder” in taking the Kashmir issue to the UN.

Last week, Singh sharpened his attack on BJP by saying that the party is like the violent white American group, Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

Replying to a question on his expulsion from the party, Singh said: “Please don”t ask me. I am outside the magic circle of advisers or thinkers. Because, I am not from the RSS, is that why? So are we a political party? Is the BJP becoming some kind of an Indian version of Ku Klux Klan?”

Commonly known as The Klan, the KKK was the name of several hate groups in the US, whose aim was to protect and further the rights of white Americans by intimidation.

On being asked what he meant by reference to KKK, he shot back: “You know what the Klan means. You don”t ask me about this.”

On BJP senior leader’s position in the party, he said: “Does he (Advani) run a coterie or does the coterie run him.”

Singh said he did not agree with BJP leader Arun Shourie”s suggestion that RSS should take over the party, saying it will not work.

“I would like the BJP to reflect on what has happened and try to be a party of the 21st century. They (RSS) are exclusivist. Besides, they are an organisation committed to social work,” he said.

Asked if his expulsion was a message to other dissidents in the party, he shot back: “Am I a dissident. I am sorry. Your question suggests I am some kind of a dissident. I feel I am one of the original-founding members of the party.”

He ruled out joining the Samajwadi Party, which has invited him to join it.

“I am happy to be an independent. I will serve the cause of GJM and the Gorkha land. That is my karma bhoomi and my janam bhoomi is the desert. I shall serve them,” he said.

He also ruled out stepping down as Chairman of the prestigious Parliamentary Accounts Committee following his expulsion from the BJP. (ANI)

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BJP asks Vasundhara Raje not to hold MLAs meet on Wednesday

August 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug. 25 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday directed former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje not to hold a proposed meeting of the MLAs on Wednesday.

Rajnath Singh has directed Vasundhara not to hold the MLAs meet, an NDTV report quoted sources as saying.

It is expected that the BJP leadership may seek help of senior party leader Lal Krishan Advani over the ongoing issue of Vasundhara Raje’s resignation, the report added.

Raje returned to Jaipur without tendering her resignation from the post of Leader of the Opposition of Rajasthan State Assembly, the report stated.

Rajnath Singh has reportedly given four days time to submit her resignation, a CNN-IBN report stated.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday issued show-cause notice to its leader Arun Shourie over his outburst against the party and its leadership in the media.

BJP sought clarification from Shourie over his remarks made in an interview to private TV channel during a programme on Monday.

The much-anticipated action came Shourie’s remarks that termed the party as “Kati Patang” (a kite without its sting attached) and describing BJP President Rajnath as “Alice in Blunderland” and “Humpty Dumpty” were viewed as a matter of indiscipline.

Shourie had also urged the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh to takeover the charge of the BJP and suggested to remove all its top leaders. (ANI)

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Vasundhara Raje to meet Rajnath Singh, Advani

August 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.22 (ANI): Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and now Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, Vasundhara Raje, who defied the BJP leadership’s directive to quit the post,is to meet senior BJP leader L K Advani and party president Rajnath Singh here today.

After a week-long drama which saw her virtually defying the BJP’s central leadership, Raje yesterday left for Delhi with scores of her supporters. Along the way, she received a rapturous welcome from her supporters, suggesting that she enjoys huge popularity in Rajasthan.

The meeting with Advani and Singh is scheduled for 3 p.m., a television channel reported.

Raje was asked to resign from the post of Leader of Opposition in the wake of the party’s dismal performance in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

After her defiance last week, the BJP Parliamentary Board had last Sunday endorsed the decision against her but kept no deadline for it.

Sources have said Raje might submit her resignation after meeting both leaders.

In Shimla on Friday senior BJP leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj indirectly hinted that if Raje failed to back down, she could be removed from the party on grounds of indiscipline.

Without directly confirming plans to remove Raje, Swaraj alluded at a press conference that: “The BJP has removed the party’s state level leadership in those states where it performed poorly in the last (state and general) elections.”

In this context, she also gave the examples of B.C Khanduri who was replaced as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand by Ramesh Pokhriyal, Om Mathur who was replaced by Arun Chaturvedi as the BJP’s Rajasthan unit president and Krishnapal Gurjar coming in place of Atam Prakash Manchanda as president of the BJP’s Haryana unit.

She also emphasized that coalition politics in India was here to stay to fight the “hegemony” of the Congress party.

Historically, she said that Shyama Prasad Moorkerjee, was the first person to initiate coalition politics in the country with the formation of the Jana Sangh in the 1950s. The aim then was to counter the Congress, and that tradition continues, she said.

She confirmed that three-day Chintan Baithak had thoroughly discussed the pro’s and con’s of coalition politics. (ANI)

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Advani says will serve his full term as Leader of Opposition

August 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug.13 (ANI): Leader of Opposition L.K.Advani has said that he will complete his full five-year term, and has dismissed media reports of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) asking him to work towards nominating a successor.

“I still stand by what I had said at the press conference [at the end of the session last week]. If I accept something reluctantly then I cannot contribute my best to it,” Advani was quoted as saying by a news agency and the rediff.com web site on Wednesday when asked whether RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had suggested that Advani chose his successor in the near future.

It maybe recalled that Advani had told an August 8 press conference that it was out of his own volition that he had accepted the post of Leader of Opposition.

The RSS has also said that both Advani and Bhagwat are capable of taking decisions on their own, and that the parent body of the BJP has nothing to do with it.

The BJP has said that there is no need for it to comment on the succession issue.

Advani said he had told party leaders soon after this year’s general elections that he would not take any post, but added that agreed to continue as Leader of Opposition at the insistence of the core group.

He told rediff that he was surprised by a report in a section of media that Bhawat was reportedly upset about his decision to continue as Leader of Opposition.

He said that during his one-to-one interaction over lunch with Bhagwat on Monday, the succession issue did not come up. Rather, he (Advani) told Bhagwat about the BJP’s fine performance during the parliament session.

The BJP leadership issue could dominate the Sangh Parivar’s Chintan Baithak (brainstorming session) that is to take place in Simla from next week. (ANI)

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Uttarakhand CM Khanduri asked to resign

June 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 23 (ANI): After party’s rout in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand, the BJP leadership is understood to have asked Chief Minister B C Khanduri to resign.

According to party sources, the BJP decided to replace Khanduri after a meeting of senior leaders at L K Advani’s residence.

The meeting was attended by party President Rajnath Singh.

Meanwhile, the party high command has also summoned all its 35 MLAs from the state to Delhi for deciding on a replacement to Khanduri.

The names of state Minister for Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Pant and Health Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal are doing the rounds as possible front-runners to replace Khanduri.

The BJP in Uttarakhand has been in turmoil after it lost all five Lok Sabha seats in the state and dissidents led by senior leader B S Koshiyari landed in Delhi to press for Khanduri’s removal.

Koshiyari even resigned his Rajya Sabha seat, but took back his letter a day later. (ANI)

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Advani raises poll pitch, targets Congress

April 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr.17 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani today demanded that the UPA Government should make efforts to bring back the black money deposited by Indians in foreign banks and also raise the issue at an upcoming G-20 meet.

Advani, who was unveiling a report of a four-member task force of the party formed to look into the issue of Indian black money in foreign banks, said it was more dangerous than the black money circulated inside the country.

He said as the National Security Advisor himself had pointed out, the black money from outside the country finds way into the Indian market as “terror money”.

He also demanded that the government should raise the issue of black money in the G-20 meet scheduled on April 25.

The four-member task force appointed by the BJP leadership to look into the issue comprises chartered accountant S Gurumurthy, Prof Vaidyanathan of IIM Bangalore, security expert Ajit Doval and lawyer and BJP Lok Sabha nominee Mahesh Jethmalani. (ANI)

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Munna quits, BJP woes multiply

April 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Munna Singh Chauhan’s decision to quit the party from his Vikasnagar seat is the latest problem to have besieged the saffron outfit in Uttarakhand in recent weeks. But instead of accepting that problems exist and making an attempt to address them, the BJP leadership seems to prefer to overlook them even as it claims it will win all five Lok Sabha seats in the hill state.

On Thursday evening, Chauhan met Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harbans Kapoor and submitted his resignation. He also quit the BJP and is now set to enter the electoral fray as the BSP candidate from Tehri.

As he enjoys a sizeable support base in Vikasnagar and Jaunsar, Chauhan’s exit will have an adverse effect on BJP candidate Jaspal Rana’s prospects. But while BJP leaders admit the fact within closed doors, they are not willing to state it publicly.

“Chauhan’s resignation would have no impact on the B.C. Khanduri government or in Tehri. We are set to win all five seats in the state,” was what BJP spokesperson Vishwas Dawar had to say.

Similar ‘ostrich like attitude’ adopted by the BJP in dealing with its coalition partner Uttarakhand Kranti Dal may cost the party heavily in Nainital from where BJP state unit chief Bachi Singh Rawat is contesting. The regional outfit wanted the Nainital seat to be given to them as part of a pre-poll deal.

But BJP’s unwillingness to adjust resulted in the UKD fielding its president Narayan Singh Jantwal from the seat. Like Chauhan in Tehri, Jantwal too has the potential to hurt Rawat’s chances on entering the Lok Sabha.

Another instance was its failure to negotiate with Independent MLA from Pauri Yashpal Benam. The legislator withdrew support from the Khanduri government and is now poised to contest as an Independent from the Pauri Lok Sabha seat.

A former chairman of the Pauri municipal board, Benam has the potential to eat into votes of sitting BJP MP T.P.S. Rawat. Since Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri (a former MP from the seat) also belongs to Pauri, winning the seat is a prestige issue for the BJP. Replacement of its candidate from Haridwar in favour of a saint under Vishwa Hindu Parishad pressure and a comparatively weaker candidate in Almora are other issues that should bother the BJP..

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BJP maintains ‘Shotgun’ Sinha’s “honor and dignity”

March 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Mar. 18 (ANI): Expressing his gratitude towards the BJP for giving him the Patna Sahib seat, actor turned politician Shatrughan Sinha said his party had maintained his “honour and dignity”.

Sinha described Bihar as both his “weakness and strength” and added that he was grateful to the BJP leadership for fulfilling his wish to fight from Patna Sahib.

“Patna Sahib was my first choice, second choice and the last choice as I remained Rajya Sabha MP two times from this very seat,” Sinha told reporters in New Delhi.

“I would like to thank and express my gratitude towards senior leaders of my party, especially our top leader Advaniji, our National president Rajnath Singh and our leader and my family friend Sushma Swaraj as well as Kalraj Mishra that they kept my honour and dignity,” he added.

Sinha also said he has a special attachment with Bihar as he was born and brought up there. (ANI)

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BJD not to support UPA, NDA at Centre

March 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi,Mar 14 (ANI): The Biju Janata Dal Chief and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said that his party would not support either a Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or a BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

Patnaik’s statement came a day after the Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary A. B. Bardhan met him to persuade him to join the Third Front.

The BJD, however, said his party would consider its move only after the polls.

When asked about the speculations that the BJD may rejoin the NDA after the general elections, Patnaik said he was in no mood to do business with the BJP leadership either at the Centre or at the state level.

Since the BJD has snapped ties with the NDA, many political parties have been trying to persuade him for a possible alliance.

Apart from Left leaders, the Janata Dal- Secular (JD-S) chief H. D. Deve Gowda had also invited the BJD leader to participate in the launching rally of the newly-formed Third Front on March 12. ANI)

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