New Delhi: A generational change in the BJP
hierarchy may be on the anvil with Leader of Opposition L K
Advani likely to quit his post next week and party President
Rajnath Singh stepping down on Saturday.
57-year-old Sushma Swaraj, deputy leader of the party
in Lok Sabha, is tipped to succeed Advani (83), who makes way
under an RSS conceived move to usher in younger leadership
against the backdrop of the debacle in Lok Sabha polls.
Sources said Advani is likely to announce his decision to
step down as Leader of Opposition in the Parliamentary Party
meeting to be held on the morning of December 21, the last day
of the current Parliament session.
However, Swaraj,
who declined to talk about Advani's moves, said the
Parliamentary party meeting on December 21 will not take place
in case the winter session of Parliament adjourns sine die
tomorrow itself.
Advani may be made the Chairman of BJP Parliamentary
Party, a post to be created by amending the parliamentary
party constitution. A two-thirds majority is a must to make
such an amendment.
BJP President Rajnath Singh is slated to tender his
resignation on December 19, paving the way for Maharashtra
party unit Chief Nitin Gadkari to take over, party sources
said here today.
"BJP Parliamentary Board meeting will be held at 3 pm on
December 19 followed by a meeting of office-bearers of the
party," BJP headquarters In-charge Shyam Jaju said.
Sources said Rajnath Singh will submit his resignation to
the Parliamentary Board in this meeting.
Gadkari has been called to Delhi for the meeting and will
be anointed party unit Chief. The decision will be ratified
by the BJP National Council.
In the wake of these developments, a number of posts
would be up for grabs in the party.
The race for the post of Deputy Leader of BJP in the
Lower House is now between Ananth Kumar, Gopinath Munde and
Shahnawaz Hussain.
Munde and Yashwant Sinha are also eyeing the post of
Public Accounts Committee Chairman which has fallen vacant
after Jaswant Singh's resignation.
Soon after Lok Sabha defeat, Advani had
suggested to the party top brass to choose a new leader of
opposition, but it was ignored and he was chosen for the post.
But later RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stepped in to suggest that
the party better look at having a younger leadership between
55 and 65 years of age.
-PTI
First Published: Friday, December 18, 2009, 09:26