Advani relents on resignation after RSS intervention
2 min read . Updated: 12 Jun 2013, 12:26 AM IST
PremiumAnalysts say move shows the veteran leader was losing command in the party he once controlled
New Delhi/Ahmedabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani on Tuesday withdrew his day-old resignation from key positions in the party, persuaded by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and senior leaders.
While this may have ended a crisis in the BJP that started with the appointment of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as the head of the election campaign committee for the 2014 general election, analysts say it also showed the veteran leader was losing command in the party he once controlled.
BJP president Rajnath Singh, even before he met Advani on Tuesday to placate him, had made it clear that the party’s decision regarding Modi would not be reversed.
“While the RSS (the BJP’s progenitor) has extended an olive branch to Advani, the fact remains that Modi, whose elevation was alleged to be at the centre of the controversy, did not even come to Delhi to placate Advani. And Advani’s mentee Arun Jaitley chose not to alter his overseas programme, (which) speaks about the falling clout of Advani," Mumbai-based political analyst Jai Mrug said. “His withdrawal of resignation in response to the olive branch is, therefore, more a pragmatic step on his behalf than a capitulation of the party."
It was pressure from the partners in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that forced the RSS to goad Advani into withdrawing his resignation, said political analyst N. Bhaskara Rao.
Sharad Yadav, president of the Janata Dal (United) has announced he was re-thinking his decision to continue in the NDA.
RSS chief “Mohan Bhagwat spoke to Advani and asked him to respect the BJP parliamentary board decision and continue to guide the party in national interest", he said. “Advani has decided to accept Bhagwat’s advice."
Modi was quick to react after the crisis blew over.
