Advani becomes BJP parliamentary party chairman, Swaraj, Jaitley House leaders.
The first part of the BJP’s succession plan, scripted by the RSS, was executed flawlessly on Friday when LK Advani became chairman of the BJP parliamentary party and Sushma Swaraj took over as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Advani, however, denied he was retiring. “If anyone says that my rath yatra is over, then let me say that this rath yatri is not willing to stop. I am starting a new chapter in my life,” he said. BJP president Rajnath Singh, set to lose his seat to Nitin Gadkari on Saturday, conducted the proceedings at the parliamentary party meeting.
The upside for Advani was that he accommodated his choices for leader of opposition in both Houses, Sushma Swaraj in Lok Sabha and Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha.
Advani’s exit plan had been scripted by the RSS and the party, which wanted for him a graceful exit with minimum fuss. Rajnath Singh proposed the amendment to the party constitution (Articles 6 a1 and 6 a2) and it was seconded by Venkaiah Naidu and Gopinath Munde. After that, former Union minister Yashwant Sinha proposed Advani’s name as party chairperson. A host of leaders seconded it.
Speeches followed, first a stirring one by Advani who said that his yatra in politics began as a lad of 14 and RSS pracharak, and continues.
Sushma Swaraj said she was happy that Advaniji will guide her in her new job. “Our (Arun Jaitely and Swaraj) position may have changed, but our place will be the same,” she said.
Rajnath denied that the RSS had anything to do with the decision. “A meeting of the party’s core group at my residence two days decided to amend the party constitution,” he said.
For Advani, who said his dominant feeling was one of relief and satisfaction, it has been the only honourable exit possible. With the role of an elderly statesman and his favourites in plum posts in Parliament, at least the party’s parliamentary life will remain very much in his command.
“Unlike Atalji, who after the party lost in 2004, became ill, Advaniji is still very active, and this was the only exit plan which would have worked,” a senior party MP said.
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