New Delhi, May 25
Emulating its main political rival, the BJP is likely to elect former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Chairman of its parliamentary party, while making the former Deputy Prime Minister the Leader of the Opposition.
The BJP will hold its parliamentary party meeting on June 1, a day ahead of the first session of the 14th Lok Sabha, to elect its parliamentary party leaders.
The BJP top leadership today deliberated to suitably accommodate its senior leaders and those who lost in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in the organisation or in the parliamentary party.
The arrangement to have a Chairman of the parliamentary party has been conceived to aid Mr Vajpayee and to ensure a Cabinet status to Mr Advani.
While Mr Advani would be the Leader of the Opposition, former Finance Minister Jaswant Singh would continue to be the Leader of the Rajya Sabha.
Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani will be elected at a meeting to be attended by the newly elected BJP members of the Lok Sabha as well as its Rajya Sabha members. It will also chalk out the party’s strategy for the June 2-10 Parliament session.
Briefing mediapersons, BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu said the meeting took note of the happenings after the installation of the new Congress-led government at the Centre.
The BJP leaders also discussed the formation of the party’s national executive and the appointment of national office-bearers, including those in charge of party affairs in various states.
However, Mr Naidu parried a question on whether Mr Vajpayee had declined to become the Leader of the Opposition and that Mr Advani would be elected the parliamentary party leader.
“There has been internal discussion and there is no problem on this score,” he said. He said the informal meeting also discussed organisational matters and the steps needed to tone it up still further.
Sources said the meeting also discussed the state of affairs of the party in Gujarat where organisational elections were postponed because of the Lok Sabha poll.
Present state unit president Rajendra Singh Rana, who won the Lok Sabha election, is being brought to the central organisation and Kaushikbhai Patel, one of the confidantes of former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, is likely to replace Mr Rana, the sources added.
