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Modi skips BJP meet, raises eyebrows
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi skipped the BJP’s national executive meeting here on Friday generating a lot of speculation about him being upset with the party’s central leadership over some decisions.
BS Yeddyurappa (Karnataka) and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (Uttarakhand), who were dropped as Chief Ministers in recent times, also skipped the event. While BSY had to go last month after being named in a Lokayukta report on illegal mining, Pokhriyal lost his job this month after party decided to go for a leadership change keeping in view next year’s election.
But, it was Modi’s absence that dominated TV screens through the day even though the BJP refused to read much into his absence. Its spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain ruled out any “clash” and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi maintained “infighting is there in the Congress and not in our party”.
Party chief Nitin Gadkari had on Thursday said that Modi was not coming as he does not move out of Gujarat during Navratra fasts.
However, it was BJP leader Balbir Punj’s statement that given a chance, “Modi will prove to be the best prime minister in the history of the country”, that set the stage for speculation about the reasons behind Modi’s absence. Punj is party’s in-charge for Gujarat.
News reports claim Modi was upset over his arch-rival Sanjay Joshi being brought back into the mainstream of the party and Advani’s unilateral decision to bring out his yatra, which was earlier seen as an exercise by the BJP veteran to stake his claim to the post of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
Modi, it is believed, was upset that the party first decided to start Advani’s yatra from Gujarat even before consulting him and when he objected, it was shifted to Bihar whose Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has openly exhibited his reservations in being seen close to Modi for obvious electoral reasons.
However, BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad said, “It is not true that Modi is unhappy. He fasts during Navratra and so is not attending the national executive.” He also described Modi as a “very capable and competent Chief Minister who is praised not only in India but abroad as well”.
BS Yeddyurappa (Karnataka) and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (Uttarakhand), who were dropped as Chief Ministers in recent times, also skipped the event. While BSY had to go last month after being named in a Lokayukta report on illegal mining, Pokhriyal lost his job this month after party decided to go for a leadership change keeping in view next year’s election.
But, it was Modi’s absence that dominated TV screens through the day even though the BJP refused to read much into his absence. Its spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain ruled out any “clash” and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi maintained “infighting is there in the Congress and not in our party”.
Party chief Nitin Gadkari had on Thursday said that Modi was not coming as he does not move out of Gujarat during Navratra fasts.
However, it was BJP leader Balbir Punj’s statement that given a chance, “Modi will prove to be the best prime minister in the history of the country”, that set the stage for speculation about the reasons behind Modi’s absence. Punj is party’s in-charge for Gujarat.
News reports claim Modi was upset over his arch-rival Sanjay Joshi being brought back into the mainstream of the party and Advani’s unilateral decision to bring out his yatra, which was earlier seen as an exercise by the BJP veteran to stake his claim to the post of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
Modi, it is believed, was upset that the party first decided to start Advani’s yatra from Gujarat even before consulting him and when he objected, it was shifted to Bihar whose Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has openly exhibited his reservations in being seen close to Modi for obvious electoral reasons.
However, BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad said, “It is not true that Modi is unhappy. He fasts during Navratra and so is not attending the national executive.” He also described Modi as a “very capable and competent Chief Minister who is praised not only in India but abroad as well”.
