BJP chief Rajnath Singh meets Advani in alleged attempt to soften the blow

New Delhi: BJP president Rajnath Singh called on senior party leader LK Advani at his residence in Delhi this afternoon in an alleged attempt to bridge the gap that's been driven by the party's decision to give a whopping promotion to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Advani, 85, chose to skip the BJP conference in Goa which climaxed on Sunday with the announcement that Mr Modi will be the head of its election committee, effectively making him the face of the party's campaign for the national election.

The fact that the party ignored both Mr Advani's opposition and his absence to declare Mr Modi's new elevated status signals his marginalization within a party that he once led, said sources.

A writ from the BJP's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh or RSS, called for the dithering over Mr Modi's promotion to end in Goa, according to sources.

Mr Modi tweeted yesterday, "Spoke to Advani ji on the phone. He gave me his blessings."

But Mr Advani, in a memorial speech delivered via video-conference in Jaipur, did not refer to the developments in Goa.

As party chief, Mr Singh has refuted that Mr Advani is upset with the BJP, claiming that he advised the stalwart, who was unwell, to skip Goa.