Vajpayee too ill, BJP to make Advani chairman of NDA

The season of change in the BJP is not yet over with chairman of the parliamentary party LK Advani being tipped to take over as the “acting chairman” of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee currently holds the position. Vajpayee’s health continues to keep him away from public engagements and therefore, Advani may be asked to step in.

The move will also solve the problem with office space in parliament, since new leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has to move into the room allotted to her. Advani had been occupying that room so far. Plans to anoint Advani as the acting chairperson of NDA will solve that problem.

“While Vajpayeeji will symbolically remain the head of the NDA, for all practical purposes, Advaniji will head it. However, this will only be done after seeking Atalji’s consent and not before,” said a BJP source.

A meeting of the NDA will be called before the budget session of parliament next month and just before that Vajpayee will be approached for his consent, the source said.

After Advani was relieved of his leader of opposition’s post and was made the chairman of the BJP’s parliamentary party, it was assumed that he would be holding the post as a retirement sinecure. The latest move proves that Advani is not yet ready to be marginalised.