Modi meets Advani in bid to unite party

New Delhi: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi Tuesday called on the enraged veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani in his bid to unite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP has asked Modi to take the initiative to make himself acceptable to all sections of the party before he can be projected as the prime ministerial candidate in next year’s general elections.

Modi called on Advani, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former party chief Murli Manohar Joshi.

It was Modi’s first meeting with Advani after he quit all party posts following Modi’s appointment. The crisis was resolved after intervention of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat who requested Advani to respect the decision of the party’s parliamentary board, which rejected his resignation.

Sources close to Advani termed the meeting as positive.

Modi’s prime ministerial ambitions received a jolt with Advani’s resignation and decision of the Janata Dal (United) to break 17-year-old ties with BJP.

Modi is under pressure to ensure he carry along all sections of the party and Advani’s support is crucial in this regard. RSS chief Bhagwat is also expected to meet Advani soon in his effort to get the veteran leader agree to play mentor and guide to Modi and the party.

Sources said Modi requested Advani to do damage-repair as his sharply worded resignation letter is being used by the arch-rival congress party to embarrass the BJP.

“For some time I have been finding it difficult to reconcile either with the current functioning of the party, or the direction in which it is going. Most leaders of ours are now concerned just with their personal agendas,” Advani had stated in his resignation letter. Modi is understood to have requested Advani to clarify his statement in a manner that convinces the masses since it has raised serious doubts about integrity of BJP leaders.

Ajay Maken, the newly appointed communications department chief of the congress party, used Advani’s letter to hit out at the BJP. Referring to Advani’s letter, Maken had on Monday said: “First of all he (Modi) should reply to the most senior leader in his party. He has to answer his party’s senior leaders. Then he has to answer to and establish himself among the NDA allies, who are falling apart. Then he has to explain whether his stature is rising and falling. His challenge to congress comes after all these.” Maken further said that the senior BJP leader did not say this only about Modi but all other leaders of his party.

BJP will soon have to start hunting for new partners with the exit of the Janata Dal (United) National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

NDA used to be a conglomerate of 24 parties while it was in power. However, over the years, regional allies have walked out of the alliance.

According to indications, Modi himself is not very keen on expanding NDA at this stage since his idea is to let the BJP contest as many seats as possible to increase its tally in the Lok Sabha and hunt for new allies after parliamentary polls depending upon the requirement.