New Delhi: BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, who is reportedly sulking after he was overlooked for the post of general secretary by party president Nitin Gadkari, is likely to keep away from a meeting of new spokespersons convened on Friday by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj.
Swaraj is holding a meeting of the seven BJP spokespersons to decide allocation of work and brief them about their new job.
Sources said the meeting was being held at the behest of Chief Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad who is keen on getting his new team cracking without any delay.
Sources close to Hussain said he is likely to keep away from the meeting but insisted that this is due to his ill-health.
"He is a disciplined soldier of the party and will go with whatever the party decides. But since he is unwell, he cannot attend this meeting," a source close to Hussain said.
Asked if there was a possibility of Hussain not accepting the post of spokesman, his close associate replied in the negative.
The three-time MP and former minister was tipped to become a general secretary but was only made a spokesperson.
Other than Prasad and Hussain, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Prakash Javadekar, Ramnath Kovind, Tarun Vijay and Nirmala Sitharaman have been appointed spokespersons.
Hussain has differences with Prasad and is said to be uneasy working under him. "Hussain was a union minister while Prasad has only served as a minister of state," said Hussain's close aide.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 19, 2010, 15:12