By Rajeev Khanna, IANS
Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began its three-day national executive meet here Friday with the leadership controversy — on who would be the leader in case the party comes back to power, Atal Bihari Vajpayee or L.K. Advani — overshadowing proceedings.
Even before formal inauguration of the event in the morning, statements on the issue were being heard from various quarters of the party.
Senior party leader Jaswant Singh told media persons: “There is no confusion. Confusion is only in the media. Mr Advani is the undisputed leader while Atal-ji is the margdarshak (guide).”
Senior party leader Ram Naik was the most emphatic in saying that Advani was the obvious choice. “He (Leader of Opposition) doesn’t have to take a fresh position,” said Naik.
Advani being the choice as the next leader was even aired by former party president Venkaiah Naidu who said: “We have always been saying that it is Advani-ji after Atal-ji.”
However, Venkaiah’s predecessor Bangaru Laxman — who had been made party president after Vajpayee became prime minister in 1999 — was reserved on the issue.
Laxman said: “Such issues are not discussed at conventions like these.”
Former agriculture minister Shanta Kumar said that Vajpayee remains the top leader of the party.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad too evaded queries on the issue.
Replying to a query, he said: “Both Vajpayee-ji and Advani-ji are tall leaders of the party. An announcement on the matter will be made at an opportune time.”
Vajpayee is not attending the meet as he is unwell. In a message to those attending the event he repeated a poem written by him whose first line read, “Aahuti baki yagya adhura, apno ke vighnon ne ghera” (The yagna is incomplete as there are hindrances being caused by own men).
When asked who Vajpayee was referring to, Prasad played it down, saying, “He is talking about the conditions prevailing in the country and has asked the party men to unite and work together.”
In his letter, Vajpayee said that he was recovering and would be soon back among his party colleagues.
Leaders like Yashwant Sinha and Kalraj Mishra avoided talking to the media, saying that the media was out to create a controversy on the issue.
A severe dust storm Thursday evening brought down the tents and enclosures erected in the Lal Parade grounds for a public meeting scheduled for Sunday.
As if this was not enough, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kailash Joshi had a bad fall at Bhopal airport, sustaining a head and leg injury. He had to be rushed to hospital.
The party’s national executive meet is being held in Bhopal after a gap of 11 years. The last time, it was attended by BJP stalwarts Kushabhau Thakre and Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, who are now dead. In order to mark their contributions to the party, two enclosures at the ongoing meet have been named after them.