2014 polls: BJP, RSS reach consensus on Narendra Modi as PM candidate?

Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Narendra Minister Modi`s name is likely to be announced as BJP`s PM candidate for 2014 General Elections before 17 September after consensus seemed to have been reached between BJP and RSS, reports said on Monday. The development came soon after the two day meet of the BJP-RSS ended today evening. BJP`s highest decision- making body Parliamentary Board is expected next week to make the announcement. Efforts are reportedly underway to ensure that the announcement coincides with Modi`s birthday on September 17. According to reports, neither party patriarch LK Advani nor BJP`s senior leaders Sushma Swaraj are against the idea of making Narendra Modi as BJP`s PM candidate. Earlier in the day, the senior leaders of the two organisation met today to discuss coordination strategy ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha polls. It was said that the `coordination meeting` had been called in the backdrop of intense discussions within the party on the issue of naming Modi as its prime ministerial candidate. The RSS, reports had claimed, had already conveyed its opinion to the BJP top brass on the issue. The RSS has left it to party chief Rajnath Singh to choose the actual date to make the announcement, sources say. Party veteran LK Advani did not attend the meeting in the first few hours, and joined it in the afternoon.

Apart from Advani, the meeting was attended by party leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Murli Manohar Joshi and the party chief Rajnath Singh. However, the decision to formally declare Modi`s candidature is understood to have been taken despite reservations of senior BJP leaders LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj, who wanted the announcement, at least, to be postponed till after the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi. After a two-day meeting of the top leadership of the Sangh Parivar which concluded this evening, there were indications that a go-ahead has been given for projecting the Gujarat Chief Minister and the decision will be announced by BJP by September 19. Besides RSS and BJP, the meeting was attended by leaders of 13 affiliates of the Sangh Parivar like VHP. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and VHP leader Praveen Togadia attended the meeting today, while Modi and Advani attended the meeting yesterday. Sources said BJP is expected to convene a meeting of the Parliamentary Board sometime between September 13 and 19 to take a final call on the PM candidate issue. Reports that Modi and other Parliamentary Board members will be in Delhi on September 14 has led to murmurs that the meeting may be convened on that day. Modi will address a BJP rally in Rewari, Haryana the next day. However, if the Board is not able to meet on September 14, it is likely to meet before September 20 when the inauspicious `pitrapaksh` period starts. RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya sought to downplay differences in BJP over the issue. "If there is any turmoil (on the issue), it was not visible here," he said when asked if there is any turmoil in the party on Modi`s candidature. In a bid to convince Advani and Swaraj, RSS General Secretary Suresh `Bhaiyya ji` Joshi had met them separately last week. This was followed by a dinner meeting among Bhagwat, Advani and Swaraj. On Saturday last, Vaidya had said RSS has already made its position clear on the key issue and it was for BJP to take a decision. "The Sangh has already made its position clear. Sangh has already informed the party. The party knows it. It is for the party to decide who to delare and when to decide so. I will not say this here," Vaidya had said on projection of Modi as BJP`s Prime Ministerial candidate. With PTI inputs