New Delhi, December 19
Nitin Gadkari today took over as national president of the BJP with outgoing president Rajnath Singh announcing his decision to quit his post forthwith at a parliamentary board-cum-press meet here.
A large crowd of BJP workers and leaders had gathered at 11, Ashoka Road, to greet Gadkari, who later accompanied by Rajnath, Prakash Javadekar and Madan Lal Khurana moved into the president’s room amidst garlanding, exchange of bouquets, fireworks and drum beating.
The new incumbent from Maharashtra proudly announced, “This will be the first time in five years I will be seeing Delhi by night.”
The stage for a change of guard in the BJP was set much in advance by the RSS and curtains finally came down on the entire drama today. Much before the scheduled press meet, the conference room was occupied by BJP leaders, MPs and workers, with Syed Shahnawaz Husain and Ravi Shankar Prasad occupying front rows, cheering the ninth president of the party.
Immediately after the parliamentary board meeting, Rajnath arrived on the dais accompanied by LK Advani, Arun Jaitely and Sushma Swaraj and Gadkari. Rajnath informed the audience that since his term was coming to an end the board decided upon Gadkari as his successor.
“There was general consensus on his name. I have already completed my three-year term. So I want to quit now and hand over charge to Gadkari.” Having said this, Rajnath vacated the chair for Gadkari.
While proudly recalling his growth in the BJP and ABVP, Gadkari acknowledged his lack of contact with Delhi, but ambitiously declared, “Where there is a will, there is a way. Where there is no will there are symposiums, conferences, seminars and discussions,” indicating that he would be more a man of action then confabulations.
Gadkari has taken charge of the BJP at a time when its morale is low due to successive defeats in the general elections and then in the state assembly polls, including Maharashtra’s. There is considerable tussle and personality clash among its top leaders and tension also prevails with RSS on whether the party should return to its Hindutva agenda or move ahead as a moderate right wing party with economic liberalisation and free market as its moto.
Gadkari will be formally elected only after January 15 when the organisational elections in at least 50 per cent states are
completed.
