By IANS
Bhopal : Speculation of their rift over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership notwithstanding, senior party leader L.K. Advani Sunday expressed his desire for the comeback of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
“Before I conclude I would like to note that this is perhaps the first meeting of the party’s National Executive that Atalji has had to miss because of his health,” Advani said in his concluding speech at the party’s three-day meet here.
“I called on Atalji on Sep 20 evening to enquire about his health. He told me then that doctors had advised him to skip Bhopal and take some rest. But I was very happy to find that his health had improved considerably since I last met him.
“I, therefore, felt gratified when Rajnathji showed me Atalji’s own message saying that before long he would be in our midst. Let us all pray that this happens very soon and he continues to lead and guide us as in the past,” said Advani.
His remarks should silence the rumour mills.
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With the issue of the party’s prime ministerial candidate remaining unresolved after the meet, BJP leaders here were seen pondering over whether Rajnath Singh will join the league of low-profile ex-presidents, including Murli Manohar Joshi, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Bangaru Laxman, or emerge stronger in near future.
Before the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections he said he would lead the party’s ‘baraat’ to Delhi. After the poll debacle in May, he perhaps had no choice but to wait to lead the wedding procession.
When queried if he would lead the ‘baraat’, he told reporters: “Dulha to main 30 saal pehale bana tha (I had become a groom 30 years ago).”
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Dissidents consoled with promises
While the BJP leaders were busy giving a clarion call to the party cadres to brace up for the snap polls, dissidents remained active trying to apprise the national leadership with their grievances.
The national leaders are, however, learnt to have asked the rebels to work for the party and promised that they would be rewarded duly. Advani also reportedly consoled them, saying that the issue would be taken up at the proper platform at an appropriate time.
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Bhopal auspicious for BJP
The BJP certainly seems to believe in omens. Most of the party leaders believe that Bhopal is a place auspicious for the party.
The national executive meet held here in 1996 was fondly remembered in almost all media interactions the party leaders had over the three days.
Be it Sushma Swaraj or party president Rajnath Singh, they never forgot to mention that it was after the Bhopal meet that the party came to power at the
Centre. They compared the situation now with that in 1996 and asserted that the political climate was very similar.