Advani loses room in Parliament?

BJP patriarch L K Advani seems to have been deprived of a room in Parliament House which he was occupying for the last 10 years as NDA working chairman.

Inside the Lok Sabha, he appeared confused over his seat.

Indications that the former Deputy Prime Minister may have lost Room No 4 came when his name plate outside was missing even though the one carrying the name of NDA Chairman Atal Behari Vajpayee was intact. With Vajpayee ill for a long time, Advani used to occupy the room.

The absence of Advani's name plate bearing and position of Working Chairman of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was conspicuous as the the development took place when the rooms were being allotted afresh in the new Lok Sabha.

The 86-year-old party veteran instead chose to take rest in the BJP Parliamentary Party office which is generally used by MPs for Parliamentary work.

Though he continues to be Chairman of BJP Parliamentary Party, Advani did not sit on the main chair in the room and instead perched himself on a sofa.

Sources close to him tried to downplay the issue, saying "there is no confusion" and expressed confidence that he will be allotted a room soon.

Lok Sabha Secretariat said it has no role in the allotment of rooms.

Inside the Lok Sabha too, Advani appeared confused as to where to sit.

In the morning, he sat in the front row in the House. When he entered, he wanted to sit in the second row along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who was seen pleading with him to move to the front row.

Then he sat in the front row besides Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Ram Vilas Paswan and took oath there itself. He, however, did not sit next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi even though the seat was vacant unlike yesterday.

In the afternoon when he came after a break, he was looking for a seat and finally sat in the 8th row.