New Delhi: The announcement of new BJP
President Nitin Gadkari`s team has brought cheers to the faces
of the young leaders who figure in the list but it also left
some hopefuls glum as they felt injustice had been done to
them while other were unduly favoured.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, who has been elevated to the post of
General Secretary, could not hide his feelings but gave a
measured response when asked about his plans.
"Whatever responsibility was given to me either as a
Union Minister or at party`s national level, I have tried my
best to ensure that my work speaks for me. I will follow the
same principle here as well," he said.
Cricketer-turned MP Navjot Singh Siddhu termed his
appointment as secretary a huge honour and said the
responsibility can either be one "better or bitter".
He said for him politics was a mission and he hoped to
make India a better country.
TV personality Smriti Irani asserted that her appointment
as national secretary proved that BJP believed in 33 per cent
reservation for women not only in legislatures but also in
party organisation.
However, there were some sad souls too in the BJP,
prominent being three-time MP and former union minister
Shahnawaz Hussain, who was tipped to be a general secretary
but ended up being only a spokesperson.
Though Hussain has kept mum, sources close to him said
he was unhappy as he would have to work under Chief
Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was Minister of State in
the NDA government when he was a union minister.
Since BJP has now appointed a total of seven
spokespersons, Hussain would hardly be in the limelight.
RSS is said to have vetoed his name as it reportedly felt
that he had failed to live up to the expectations of building
bridges between BJP and the Muslim community.
Varun Gandhi, who was named secretary in the new team, is
likely to lie low and use this as a platform to strengthen his
position for a larger role in the future. He may pitch his
case for Uttar Pradesh unit chief before Assembly polls there.
Vijay Goyal, whose name was a last minute inclusion in
the list as general secretary, said the new team represented
youth and women power in BJP. "My hard work has been rewarded.
Those who did not work are out," he boasted.
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri was
expected to be included in Gadkari`s team as a vice-president.
Not only is his name missing but his bete noire B S Koshiyari
has been given that post, adding salt to his wounds. His
exclusion is also not to the liking of senior leader L K
Advani, sources said.
But Advani would be happy that former Goa Chief Minister
Manohar Parikkar is not in the list after he made the "rancid
pickle" remark against the former.
Those appointed are optimistic and looking ahead. "This is
quite an exciting time to be a BJP office-bearer. I am looking
forward to the challenges ahead," Irani told
-PTI.
