Ahmedabad/New Delhi:
For Narendra Modi, who has ruffled many feathers by saying that he wants to "repay the debt to Mother India," this seems to be the season to show gratitude.
Days after Rajnath Singh singled him out to become the only chief minister on the BJP's parliamentary board - a group of the party's top 12 decision makers - Mr Modi will fete the BJP president and demonstrate to him his clout at a massive function to celebrate the party's 33rd foundation day.
The Chief Minister has reserved the Sardar Patel stadium on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, which he will fill with about one lakh supporters this evening. All party workers from the district level up in the state have been invited.
Mr Rajnath Singh is the only national leader that Mr Modi has invited. The BJP president will return the favour. Though the party's foundation day is being celebrated in several BJP-ruled states, Mr Singh will only attend the one in Ahmedabad, after being present at a function in Delhi. His presence today is being seen as a strong signal of the special place that Mr Modi has in the party, despite it not committing yet on what role he will play in the 2014 elections.
The Gujarat Chief Minister's functions have for the longest time been about one man - Narendra Modi. But after his elevation to a national role in party affairs, he is not singing "ekla cholo re." The Sardar Patel stadium has been dressed with huge photographs of the party's biggest leaders including Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.
At the six gates of the stadium, photos of senior leaders of the Gujarat BJP have found place, a rare occurrence at a Modi event.
Last weekend, Mr Modi was appointed not only to the BJP's parliamentary board, but also the election committee that will devise the party's campaign strategy for the 2014 Lok Saha elections and assembly elections in four key states. The Gujarat Chief Minister skipped the very first meeting of the election committee called to discuss the Karnataka polls scheduled to be in May this year.
Days after Rajnath Singh singled him out to become the only chief minister on the BJP's parliamentary board - a group of the party's top 12 decision makers - Mr Modi will fete the BJP president and demonstrate to him his clout at a massive function to celebrate the party's 33rd foundation day.
The Chief Minister has reserved the Sardar Patel stadium on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, which he will fill with about one lakh supporters this evening. All party workers from the district level up in the state have been invited.
Mr Rajnath Singh is the only national leader that Mr Modi has invited. The BJP president will return the favour. Though the party's foundation day is being celebrated in several BJP-ruled states, Mr Singh will only attend the one in Ahmedabad, after being present at a function in Delhi. His presence today is being seen as a strong signal of the special place that Mr Modi has in the party, despite it not committing yet on what role he will play in the 2014 elections.
The Gujarat Chief Minister's functions have for the longest time been about one man - Narendra Modi. But after his elevation to a national role in party affairs, he is not singing "ekla cholo re." The Sardar Patel stadium has been dressed with huge photographs of the party's biggest leaders including Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.
At the six gates of the stadium, photos of senior leaders of the Gujarat BJP have found place, a rare occurrence at a Modi event.
Last weekend, Mr Modi was appointed not only to the BJP's parliamentary board, but also the election committee that will devise the party's campaign strategy for the 2014 Lok Saha elections and assembly elections in four key states. The Gujarat Chief Minister skipped the very first meeting of the election committee called to discuss the Karnataka polls scheduled to be in May this year.
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