M A I N   N E W S

Make Advani BJP chief
Leaders mount pressure on Vajpayee
Rajeev Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17
The leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is exerting pressure on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to bring back Mr L.K. Advani as BJP President to revive the party, but as of now Mr Advani is reluctant to quit as Union Home Minister to don the mantle of party President.

Well placed sources here disclosed to “The Tribune” today that the nomination of current BJP President K. Jana Krishnamurthi to the Rajya Sabha could well be interpreted as the BJP high command’s strategy to effect a change of guard in the near future.

Significantly, BJP leader and Rural Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu met Mr Vajpayee recently and is believed to have suggested to him that the BJP needed to learn a lesson from the recent Assembly elections debacle. Mr Naidu’s argument was that the party needed dynamic leadership and none other than Mr Advani, who took the party from two seats to 181 seats in the Lok Sabha, was more suitable for BJP’s operation revival.

The sources said the Prime Minister reportedly told Mr Naidu that he was not averse to the idea but Mr Advani’s own views on this should be ascertained first. Following this, Mr Naidu met Mr Advani.

The Home Minister is understood to have said that if he were to take over as party President, then he would have to quit the Cabinet and this could encourage the Opposition to interpret it as a reflection on the quality of governance of the Vajpayee government.

The sources said Mr Advani was of the view that the final decision in this regard would be Mr Vajpayee’s and he would abide by it.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Prime Minister would be really interested in making Mr Advani the party President because that would amount to creating a parallel power centre. Under the current dispensation, Mr Advani’s status is a rung below that of Mr Vajpayee’s.

Influential sections of the BJP and the RSS are advocating bringing back Mr Advani as party President as they perceive that the party needs a dynamic leader to prevent its cadres from getting demoralised by the party’s drubbing in the elections in four state assemblies recently.

Their argument is that by choosing to keep itself under the shackles of the National Agenda for Governance (NAG) of the National Democratic Alliance, the BJP had allowed a gradual and systematic erosion of its vote bank as demonstrated by the recent elections.

The argument is that the BJP’s base area — the Hindi-speaking heartland — has not been consolidated while the non-base areas, like eastern and southern India, the party has failed to gain much ground.

The BJP and Sangh Parivar feel that the BJP had emerged as a major political force because of its ‘Hindutva’ card and if it failed to project itself as the champion of the Hindu cause, there would be no difference between the BJP and the Congress.

It is also felt that if Mr Advani were to be brought in as party President just before general election (due in 2004), it would be too late.

However, sources disclosed that if Mr Advani came back as party President, it would be an Advani in a new avtaar with a diluted focus on the Hindutva.

Shila daan judgement in haste: VHP
S. Satyanarayanan
Tribune News Service

Ayodhya, March 17
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad today accused the Supreme Court of pronouncing its judgement on shila daan “in haste” and demanded a code a conduct for the apex court judges to ensure that justice is done to all parties. The statement came even as VHP President Ashok Singhal sat on a fast-unto-death to demand lifting of security restrictions from Ayodhya and security to all Ram Sevaks visiting the temple town.

Addressing a Press conference here after a high-level meeting of the VHP, Vice-President Giriraj Kishore said: “The court had to clarify the order a day later,” he said.

Emphasising the need for a code of conduct for judges, he said: “The court judgement should convey that justice has been done to all the parties by maintaining transparency.”

He said the plan for temple construction would be finalised at a meeting to be held in Ayodhya soon.

Mr Singhal said his fast and dharna would continue till an assurance was given by the government on his demands which include easing restrictions on movement of people in Ayodhya.

Mr Laloo Singh Chauhan, Faizabad MLA, is also sitting in dharna.

Students appearing for board examinations are having a tough time due to restrictions on movement in the town.

Normalcy seems to be returning here as buses started plying up to Faizabad. Services are likely to be restored fully in the next couple of days. However, the train services will resume only after a clearance is given by the Centre, official sources here said.

Meanwhile, Faizabad Commissioner AK Gupta has proceeded on leave and has sought transfer.