For 2014, BJP bets on Narendra Modi

Panaji once again turned out to be a key milestone in Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s political journey. He was appointed the chairman of BJP’s national campaign committee, widely seen as an almost inevitable precursor to being named the party’s PM candidate. Making the announcement at the end of a dramatic three-day conclave, media coverage of which was dominated by the absence of party patriarch LK Advani, BJP chief Rajnath Singh claimed the decision was unanimous.

“To prepare for the next election, I have appointed Gujarat CM Narendra Modi as the national campaign committee chief,” Singh told reporters. By the BJP chief ’s side was the entire top leadership, except Advani, whose absence had reinforced the fissures within the party on 62-year-old Modi’s elevation.

However, within minutes of the announcement that puts Modi at the helm of affairs in the party, the Gujarat CM tweeted that all was well. “Spoke to Advaniji on phone. He gave me his blessings. Am honoured and extremely grateful to receive his blessings.”

It was the staunch support of Advani that had enabled Modi to survive the fateful 2002 national executive meet at Goa, when the then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee wanted him to quit in the aftermath of the Gujarat riots.

However, within minutes of the announcement that puts Modi at the helm of affairs in the party, the Gujarat CM tweeted that all was well. “Spoke to Advaniji on phone. He gave me his blessings. Am honoured and extremely grateful to receive his blessings.”

This was also the tone of his speech at the party meet and later while addressing party workers, in his first address after elevation. As he often does, Modi invoked Vajpayee’s name saying that under Rajnath Singh’s leadership the party will take forward the work started by the former prime minister. He also acknowledged that Goa has turned out lucky for him.

Modi expressed gratitude to party leaders for entrusting him the task of heading the party’s 2014 campaign management, saying they have enhanced his personality “removing my weaknesses and replacing them with strengths”. The public meeting was attended by the party chief, leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, among others.

Rajnath Singh expressed happiness with his decision to elevate Modi, saying he had no second thoughts about it. Jaitley said Singh had given a new direction to the politics of the country. “Decisiveness is the footprint of a true leader,” he said.

The BJP leader, while addressing the national executive, said though there were nine months left for the Lok Sabha elections, the party should prepare itself assuming it would be in three-four months. He said it was keeping this in mind that a campaign committee was being formed.

Parrikar said while the party was talking of “indecisiveness” of Congress, it should address the “indecisiveness” within itself. This triggered applause, indicating the pressure on the leadership for clarity on the leadership issue. Singh was under pressure from the party and RSS to make a formal announcement indicating that Modi would be BJP’s face for 2014 elections.

However, on Saturday night there were some last-minute parleys as several leaders were of the view that the announcement should not be made in Advani’s absence. There was speculation that BJP was weighing three options — making Modi the chief of a poll panel, deferring a formal announcement in Advani’s absence and anointing him the prime ministerial candidate immediately. Late in the night, after discussions with Advani, it was decided the party would stick to its script of announcing him the head of a campaign committee at the end of the national executive.

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