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Point<br />
Out<br />
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION<br />
The choice of Bhopal Lok Sabha<br />
seat was a well thought out<br />
strategy– one because it is a BJP<br />
bastion and with Shivraj in charge<br />
in MP he would have ensured a big<br />
win for Advani and the fact that<br />
his supporter Sushma Swaraj is<br />
contesting from the neighbouring<br />
seat in Vidisha.<br />
abstaining from the BJP parliamentary<br />
board that met to name Modi as its<br />
prime ministerial candidate. A sulking<br />
Advani wrote a letter expressing his<br />
displeasure to party president Rajnath<br />
Singh. He however gave in after a tough<br />
message from the RSS head quarters<br />
that made it clear there will be no<br />
rethink on Modi. Likewise, he chose the<br />
time to embarrass the party when BJP<br />
was on ascendency just before polls. By<br />
expressing his willingness to contest<br />
from Bhopal and not his traditional seat<br />
of Gandhinagar he was having the last<br />
laugh hitting Modi where it hurts. The<br />
choice of Bhopal Lok Sabha seat was a<br />
well thought out strategy– one because<br />
it is a BJP bastion and with Shivraj in<br />
charge in MP he would have ensured a<br />
big win for Advani and the fact that his<br />
supporter Sushma Swaraj is contesting<br />
from the neighbouring seat in Vidisha.<br />
After keeping the party leadership<br />
on tenterhooks for about a week the<br />
sulking patriarch gave in and agreed to<br />
contest from Gandhinagar, endorsing<br />
Modi’s leadership. He has done this in<br />
the past and has done it again. All this is<br />
to send the message across that he still<br />
cannot be discounted.<br />
How long the patriarch can hold on<br />
is for one to see. For he knows at 86 age<br />
is not on his side and he has almost lost<br />
out the race. If Modi gets to be the Prime<br />
Minister then it would be curtains on<br />
his ambitions. Still hoping against hope<br />
he is trying to keep himself afloat.<br />
ANGRY PROFESSOR<br />
Dr Murli Manohar Joshi had spoken his mind out against the BJP leadership and<br />
prime ministerial candidate Modi, the moment it became sure that his Lok Sabha<br />
seat was being changed. Dr Joshi, who represented Varanasi (Benaras) seat in<br />
2009 has now been shifted to Kanpur to accommodate Narendra Modi. An outsider<br />
to Uttar Pradesh, NaMo has chosen Benaras very tactically. The city being a Hindu<br />
holy city has a large number of Hindu voters besides the Akhadas and saints can pay a<br />
decisive role in swinging the mood of undecided voters. Hence, he hopes to make it to<br />
the Lok Sabha easily from Benaras.<br />
The professor was reluctant to move out of Varanasi and had given enough hints<br />
to partymen that he was not willing to budge. So much so that when the issue came<br />
up before the BJP cenetral election committee meeting in Delhi he spoke out his mind.<br />
A senior leader and former union minister, who has also served as BJP president, Dr<br />
Joshi feels he is senior enough to decide about which seat he should contest rather<br />
than being told about it.<br />
His initial posturing and reluctance had led to speculations of a rift within the party<br />
cadres which Joshi himself had later denied. Party sources, however said, he gave<br />
in only after a worried RSS stepped in. Joshi later went on to make a statement that<br />
he will abide by party’s decision on Varanasi seat and eventually filed his nomination<br />
from Varanasi. He has shifted to Kanpur but will always feel let down by the party.<br />
20<br />
april 2014
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