Rajnath Meets RSS Leaders Amid Speculation Over Leadership Change

Rajnath Meets RSS Leaders Amid Speculation Over Leadership Change

NEW DELHI: Amid speculation of leadership change in BJP after government formation, party president Rajnath Singh today met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and other top Sangh leaders and discussed the possible names being considered to replace him.

Sources said that Bhagwat also talked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over telephone before he left for Punjab, but  nothing is available on what transpired between the two. He had reached here only this morning.

Rajnath, who is now the Home Minister, spent some time with Bhagwat and discussed the possible changes in the party as also his replacement after government formation. He is also learnt to have discussed the issue of Article 370 with the Sangh leaders.

The names of party general secretaries JP Nadda, Amit Shah and Om Parkash Mathur are doing the rounds for replacing Rajnath as BJP President.

While Nadda is a low profile leader from Himachal Pradesh, Shah is considered a close confidant of Modi while Mathur is a former Rajasthan BJP chief who is considered close to the Sangh.

RSS pointsman for BJP Suresh Soni was also present during the discussion between Bhagwat and Rajnath.

After talks with Bhagwat, Rajnath met the Prime Minister and shared the details of the discussion he held with RSS leaders with Modi.

Rajnath is expected to soon step down from the post of party president as he is now part of the BJP-led NDA Government.

While Rajnath is likely to continue as BJP President for a few months more, party sources said that his replacement might come about early as the party has to prepare for the assembly elections in several states later this year and cannot afford to lower its guard.

BJP is likely to see drastic changes in the party as most of its leaders have joined the government and many new faces may come up.

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