Gadkari emerges as clear favourite for BJP top post
Advani's nod seen as clincher after Modi stays out
New Delhi: Nitin Gadkari is likely to take over as the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president in the last week of December.
Virtually all hurdles in the way of Gadkari's appointment to the top party post have been removed with veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani, who wanted one of his proteges to take charge of the party, understood to have given his consent to Gadkari's candidature.
Advani's consent came following Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's rejection of the offer to become the next BJP chief in place of Rajnath Singh, who is slated to demit office on December 31.
However, it is highly unlikely that Singh would quit before the expiry of his scheduled term. Media circles have been agog with speculation that Singh is on the verge of quitting in order to give his successor more time to settle in.
"I don't think he will quit before completion of Jharkhand elections as such organisational change does not take place when election process has started," said a central office-bearer of the party.
The five-phased Jharkhand elections, starting on November 25, are scheduled to wind up on December 18.
Jharkhand elections
Since the counting of votes is slated to take place on December 23 and with the BJP expecting to emerge victorious, Singh would want to enjoy victory before stepping down, having endured a harrowing time in office over the past one year.
The BJP has of late witnessed a string of defeats starting with Rajasthan, followed by the humiliating defeat in Lok Sabha elections and ending with below-par performances in three states that went to polls last month. Jharkhand, therefore, holds out hope for Singh to head home on a happy note.
Incidentally, Gadkari, the incumbent Maharashtra BJP chief, may have to take charge as ad hoc president because the party's organisational elections are not following the pre-charted schedule.
