New Delhi, November 16
BJP president Rajnath Singh is likely to demit office very soon, possibly before the end of this month, and may announce Maharashtra BJP president Nitin Gadkari as his successor.

Party sources said Rajnath has already conveyed his desire to this effect to the RSS high command and the Sangh appears to be in agreement with him.

Sources close to Rajnath said this would give enough maneuvering space to the new incumbent presumably Gadkari to start preparing for his tenure before he is formally elected sometime in February-March next year, after the conclusion of organisational elections in all states.Insiders recall how Rajnath himself assumed office in December 2005, when there were good six months left for the completion of then BJP president LK Advani’s tenure. The RSS is adopting the same strategy to force things on the BJP as it did in 2005.

Sources said for now Rajnath has set his eyes on reviving the BJP in his home state UP and plans to return to Lucknow to concentrate on that.

But that apart, this is also part of Rajnath’s strategy to take his clash with the Advani camp, in particular the quartet of Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar to a higher new level.

Sources said Rajnath’s decision to demit office early is based on the assumption that from the beginning Gadkari will be wary of the quartet and being new to Delhi, would need some confidants and counsels.