New Delhi:
Armed with a stunning 6-0 victory against the Congress in by-elections today,
Narendra Modi needed much fewer than 140 characters to tweet, as he left the residence of BJP chief Rajnath Singh, "Going to meet Shri LK Advani
ji."
The 15-minute meeting between two of the BJP's topmost leaders, described as a courtesy call, came after an hour-long meeting between Mr Modi and Mr Singh. It has significance because it comes amid strife within the party epicentred around Mr Modi's status. Mr Advani, once known as Mr Modi's mentor, is heading a faction that is opposed to Mr Modi's promotion to a national-level leader of the BJP and to his being projected as the face of the party for the national elections, due in May 2014.
But the 85-year-old Mr Advani has reportedly now agreed to Mr Modi heading the committee that will handle election strategy for the BJP for the 2014 general elections. He had recently suggested that former party president Nitin Gadkari and not Mr Modi be picked as the leader of the committee, but Mr Gadkari has said a polite no.
(Read: Gadkari explains "Thanks, but no thanks" response) The BJP's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh or RSS wants Mr Modi in that position.
As a compromise, Mr Advani has suggested that two committees be created - one for the national elections, headed by Mr Modi, and another for the elections due in important states over the next few months, which would be fronted by Mr Gadkari. He wants both to be announced simultaneously at a BJP meet in Goa this weekend, to convey that Mr Modi is one of a group of senior leaders, rather than the party's top man.
Mr Modi, who had registered a big win in Assembly elections held in December to earn his fourth straight term as Gujarat chief minister, demonstrated his popularity again today by snatching four more seats from the Congress. The BJP has also won two Lok Sabha seats previously held by the Congress for which by-elections were held in Gujarat.
(Read)After his meeting with Narendra Modi today, Rajnath Singh said he had congratulated the Gujarat Chief Minister for his by-election win. Winning six seats that the Congress had held was "a huge achievement for us," Mr Singh said. The two leaders said the by-election result in Gujarat was a message to the UPA that "it is time for them to go."