No plan to remove Modi now says Naidu

Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi earned a temporary reprieve with the BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, saying that "there is no proposal to change Modi, at this juncture." This was decided at the BJP's Central Parliamentary Board meeting yesterday.

The decision failed to reflect a debate that is raging within the party on whether to remove the Gujarat chief minister, before or after Maharashtra assembly polls. "Despite RSS backing, the process of Modi's removal has been initiated," a senior BJP functionary said.

During the meeting, a section was against Modi's removal before the Maharashtra assembly elections, since it had to be "fought on the Hindutva plank".

Others felt that such decisions should not be linked with elections.

"Operation-Modi, must be carried out within a fortnight," some of the members of BJP's Central Parliamentary Board felt.

The former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who attended meeting, made it clear that he continued to stand by his statements on the Gujarat issue.

"I have said, what I had to say," Vajpayee reportedly told the board.

On the other hand the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh joint general secretary, who had a lunch meeting with Naidu, indicated the RSS chief, K.S. Sudershan was against Modi's removal.

That the BJP was trying to strike a balance between Vajpayee and the RSS chief became evident with the leaders saying that the Modi issue would be discussed "unofficially" during the three-day national executive of the party, starting in Mumbai from June 22.

The Gujarat issue would not be a part of official agenda of the national executive. Officially, the national executive would discuss the "Task-Ahead" for the BJP.

Naidu also announced the formation of a three-member team to review BJP's state-wise performance during the Lok Sabha polls. The team would submit its report, sometime in July, following which the BJP would organise a "Chintan Baithak" (a retreat). The team would also submit its report on the Gujarat Lok Sabha results.

However, during yesterday's board meeting, one of the chief strategist of the BJP said that the decision on Modi "should be taken, by keeping in view of the Maharashtra assembly polls."

It was argued that the BJP along with Shiv Sena would have to fight the Maharashtra polls on the Hindutva plank and "Modi continued to be the party's most prominent Hindutva face."

The defenders of the Gujarat chief minister also said that "Modi has a massive support base in the state."

- The Asian Age