Atal Behari Vajpayee made all the difference. Rather his absence is what made the BJP’s three-day national executive meeting, which kicked off here on Friday, different from all previous meetings of the party.

It was, perhaps, for the first time that the party national executive was proceeding without Vajpayee’s astute margdarshan (guidance) .

The former prime minister has kept off the national executive, following bouts of ill-health and infirmity.
With its seniormost leader, the banyan tree under whom the party gained legitimacy and became part of the mainstream polity, absent, the party meet was abuzz with a slew of  conflicting views on “the  succession issue”.
Though senior leader and Vajpayee’s colleague for decades, L K Advani, is well ahead of other contenders in matters of succession, he is not yet deemed to have made it “to the finishing line” .   Given the divisive nature of the succession issue, which the party has to grapple sooner than later, Vajpayee’s deft act at balancing contradictory forces is sure to be missed at the party meet.

Vajpayee, however, sent a message which was read out at the meet.

He regretted not being able to make it to the meet on account of medical advice. He said the meeting is taking place at a time of “transition” with political uncertainty looming large at the Centre and hoped that the party would “collectively think and plan out a strategy”.

The tallest BJP leader has concluded his message with a poem which invokes them to “light a lamp afresh”.
“Aao fir se diya jalayain…” (let us light a lamp afresh), went the brief poetic message.

Though the scales were heavily tilted in favour of Vajpayee’s former deputy, no leader would categorically say that Advani would be stepping into his shoes.

BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi felt that former prime minister continued to be at the helm of the affairs and hence there was no question of a new leadership.

Former finance minister Jaswant Singh echoed Naqvi when he said: “Please listen to what the party is saying. Advani is a leader and there is no second thought on the issue. Under Vajpayee’s leadership, everything happens in the party.”

 The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha was tight-lipped on a query whether Advani would be the prime ministerial candidate. A confirmed Advani loyalist, former party President M Venkaiah Naidu did not mince words. “It is a well known fact that after Vajpayee, it is Advani,” he said.

Former finance minister and party Vice-President Yashwant Sinha, however, skirted all queries on the leadership issue as he has already raised questions over the leadership claims of Advani.

Sinha had recently triggered a controversy by saying that by being the leader of the Opposition, one did not necessarily qualify for the prime ministerial position. He had also cited the case of the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Sinha had also criticised Advani’s laudatory remarks on Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah during his Karachi visit.

Former party chief and Bangaru Lakshman who has, for long, been feeling slighted in the party after the Tehelka expose, thought the issue was not the subject for which the party leaders had gathered at Bhopal.

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, another challenger to the throne, who has time and again disputed Advani’s claim to the top leadership, is expected to queer the pitch for the leadership tussle in the next two days when others may also join the debate.

RIFT IN GUJARAT BJP
Bhopal, DHNS: The rift in the saffron camp in Gujarat which is scheduled to go to polls sometime in October-November became evident on Friday with two  prominent BJP leaders from the state absenting themselves from the national executive meet.  

The prominent anti-Narendra Modi camp leaders  Keshubhai Patel and Suresh Bhai Mehta who are refusing to campaign for the party under the leadership of  Modi did not come here with the party not  being able to explain their absence.

When asked about the Patel’s absence, Party spokesman gave an unconvincing response  saying “the BJP leader was busy attending the death anniversary of his wife”.