BJP to ignore Advani, name Modi for PM on Friday

It’s a big day for the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday, as party president Rajnath Singh will preside over the parliamentary board meeting in New Delhi.

The meeting, which is scheduled at 12:15 pm at the party office at Ashoka Road, will be followed by senior leaders briefing the press.

That is when Rajnath is expected to announce Narendra Modi as the BJP’s  prime ministerial candidate. He will also convey that Modi is the overwhelming and universal choice as the PM candidate.

The time, 12:15 pm, on Friday, was chosen specifically for the anointment. Rahu Kaal, an inauspicious time, is between 10:30 am to 12 pm, so astrologers have proposed 12:15 pm, which was also endorsed by Rajnath’s personal astrologer.

On Thursday morning, Rajnath spoke to Modi and got his approval. Modi's friends in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, have already begun organising pujas at the Ambe temple in Gujarat. 

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Hectic activity was underway in the party to evolve as much consensus as possible. In this context, senior party leader Ananth Kumar met Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, who is also said to be having reservations to Modi's projection.

Rajnath is set to meet Swaraj. On Wednesday night, he had called her up to discuss the issue. Rajnath Singh met senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi also on Wednesday night.

"I want to clarify that nobody in the BJP is unhappy and nobody has put any conditions (on declaring Modi as PM candidate)," the party president said on Thursday morning when asked about Advani's opposition and whether there was any hitch in declaring Modi as the BJP prime ministerial candidate.

Asked when the party's parliamentary board meeting would be convened to take the final call on Modi's projection, he said "it will be conveyed to you whenever it will be announced."

Rajnath had a 30-minute meeting with Advani on Wednesday to persuade him on Modi's candidature but failed to get an assurance. The moves to formally announce Modi as the candidate gained momentum after the go-ahead given by the RSS last week.

Significantly, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is in Gandhinagar and Modi is expected to meet him on Thursday.

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Modi's supporters in the party insist that the announcement should be made before September 17 and efforts are being made to convene the parliamentary board meeting.

While Advani has remained silent on the issue, his close associate Sudheendhra Kulkarni attacked Modi, describing him as a "polarising" leader" in the society as well as the party and cast aspersions on his ability as a prime minister to run a stable and effective government.

"A socially polarising leader has polarised his own party. Can he run a smooth, stable and effective government at the Centre? Think seriously!" Kulkarni said on Twitter about Modi without naming him.

"Elections are seven months away. People want a change. But who will provide the change? Leaders who are polarizing the society?" Kulkarni told a news channel. He maintained that there is no unanimity in the party about the prime ministerial candidate.

"Question does arise that can such a leader ensure a smooth government and peace in the society," he said.

Rajnath and his predecessor Nitin Gadkari had visited Advani in the last two days to convince him on Modi's candidature but got no assurance from him. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader from Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi has targeted Advani saying he "has failed to gauge the public mood. Advaniji himself declared Atalji as PM candidate. Now also he could have done the same for NaMo (Narendra Modi)."

Besides Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi are also opposed to announcing Modi as the PM candidate before the forthcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi.

 With inputs from PTI

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