BJP President Rajnath Singh, senior leaders Nitin Gadkari and Arun Jaitley during a meeting with partys prime minister candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at CMs house in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
Four men were huddled in Gujarat on Wednesday evening to discuss the BJP's post-election strategy, with exit polls showing that the party is set to stage a comeback at the Centre after 10 years. (
Exit Polls: Numbers Stack Up in Favour of BJP-Led NDA)
In these 10 years, an era has changed. None of those four men were called Vajpayee or
Advani. Closeted with the BJP's prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi were party president
Rajnath Singh, chief strategist Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari, who plays emissary of the BJP's powerful mentor the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). (
Modi-led BJP Set For Victory, Exit Polls Show) Along with Mr Modi's chief aide Amit Shah, they are now informally called the party's core group, its main decision-makers. On Wednesday evening they reportedly discussed at Mr Modi's official residence, government formation, possible alliances and roles for seniors leaders like LK Advani and
Sushma Swaraj, who are not quite close to Mr Modi.
"There was too much to discuss...it wasn't possible to talk about all of it on the phone," Mr Singh, 62, said after landing in Ahmedabad. He took over as party president last year, picked by the RSS to head the party in a crucial election year.
Mr Singh became BJP chief because Mr Gadkari, mired in corruption charges, could not. Mr Gadkari, 53, was soon back playing the role of mediator to smoothen ruffled feathers of angry leaders like LK Advani as Mr Modi strode up the party echelons. He has in the past not shared the best relationship with Mr Modi, but has of late reportedly positioned himself close to him. It helps his cause that he is deeply trusted by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Arun Jaitley, 61, is among Mr Modi's oldest friends in the BJP. He has stood staunchly by the Gujarat chief minister through thick and thin, stoutly defending him against attacks both from outside the party and from within.
Amit Shah, 50, is Mr Modi's chief troubleshooter. The former Gujarat home minister is a controversial leader who faces charges of murder and criminal conspiracy in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter cases. He got relief in the Ishrat Jahan murder case recently, when the CBI gave him a clean chit. But the headlines he is making now is for the flawless strategy in Uttar Pradesh.