NEW DELHI: It may not yet be curtains on the prospects of BJP patriarch L K Advani’s entry into Raisina Hills in July. He has chosen silence as a strategy after the Supreme Court revived the conspiracy charges against him and others in the Babri Mosque demolition case. It is learnt that he draws his confidence from the fact that it could be the RSS, which would have the last word on choosing the President and not PM Narendra Modi alone.
“It’s premature to write the obituary of Advani’s prospects of becoming the President. The circumstances have changed,” said a senior BJP functionary.
It’s highly premature to write obituary to the prospects of L K Advani becoming the President in the wake of the Supreme Court’s verdict in Babri Mosque case, said a senior party functionary. “The circumstances have changed and now the BJP is too close to anoint its nominee as President. The number game is well-settled. In circumstances where the numbers are clear, the RSS will not leave the choice to Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah only. It must also not be forgotten that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has a strong bond with Advani,” said he.
A section of BJP leaders argue that the campaign for construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya was not a personal endeavour of Advani, but a well thought-out strategy of the RSS and the party. “Advani was the face of the movement. Most of the BJP and RSS functionaries took part in the movement, also credited for catapulting the saffron outfit to the position of strength as it is seen in now. Therefore, the Supreme Court order doesn’t handicap anyone from taking part in any of the elections, including the July Presidential polls,” added the BJP functionary.
However, the BJP circle continues to speculate about the message which the Prime Minister would like to send out with the choice of Presidential nominee. “The Prime Minister by backing Advani for the coveted post could send a message to party workers that he’s rewarding the contributions of senior-most leaders and galvanise them ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Yet, he may also look into other factors, including women and Dalit, which are being seen as emerging electoral constituencies of the party. If it has to be a woman then the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan could be in the reckoning. In the event it emerges that the Prime Minister plays the Dalit card, which can also get the endorsement of the RSS, the Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot may become the dark horse,” sources said.