New Delhi:
In Delhi today, Narendra Modi embarked on a peace-keeping mission.
He spent 45 minutes with LK Advani, who resigned earlier this month from all party posts to protest against Mr Modi being placed in charge of the BJP's election campaign.
Sources said the meeting was "positive" and that the Gujarat Chief Minister "sought Mr Advani's blessings" while promising to consult senior leaders in his new role.
Sources say Mr Advani told Mr Modi that he was not opposed to his promotion, but would have preferred for the BJP to create two separate teams to handle the upcoming state and national elections.
That proposal had been rejected by the BJP's powerful ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh or RSS, which earlier this month instructed the BJP to announce Mr Modi's appointment as the chairman of the election campaign committee.
Mr Advani was persuaded to rescind his resignation by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The two leaders are likely to meet tomorrow, but insiders say that for all the attempts to mend fences, the barbed wires will remain.
The RSS is firm that there will be no compromise on the VVIP status of Mr Modi.
But the challenges of projecting Mr Modi as the BJP's main face were laid bare this week with the bitter ending of a 17-year alliance between his party and the Janata Dal United or JD(U).
Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, the main leaders of the JD(U), said they could not remain with the BJP which seems to be priming Mr Modi for its prime ministerial nomination. The JD(U) said this is unacceptable because it considers Mr Modi a "divisive" leader.
The JD(U) was part of the main opposition coalition, the National Democratic Alliance or NDA, which is fronted by the BJP.
A section of the BJP feels Mr Advani may, as NDA chairman, instigate other allies to block Mr Modi from running for prime minister.
He spent 45 minutes with LK Advani, who resigned earlier this month from all party posts to protest against Mr Modi being placed in charge of the BJP's election campaign.
Sources said the meeting was "positive" and that the Gujarat Chief Minister "sought Mr Advani's blessings" while promising to consult senior leaders in his new role.
Sources say Mr Advani told Mr Modi that he was not opposed to his promotion, but would have preferred for the BJP to create two separate teams to handle the upcoming state and national elections.
That proposal had been rejected by the BJP's powerful ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh or RSS, which earlier this month instructed the BJP to announce Mr Modi's appointment as the chairman of the election campaign committee.
Mr Advani was persuaded to rescind his resignation by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The two leaders are likely to meet tomorrow, but insiders say that for all the attempts to mend fences, the barbed wires will remain.
The RSS is firm that there will be no compromise on the VVIP status of Mr Modi.
But the challenges of projecting Mr Modi as the BJP's main face were laid bare this week with the bitter ending of a 17-year alliance between his party and the Janata Dal United or JD(U).
Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, the main leaders of the JD(U), said they could not remain with the BJP which seems to be priming Mr Modi for its prime ministerial nomination. The JD(U) said this is unacceptable because it considers Mr Modi a "divisive" leader.
The JD(U) was part of the main opposition coalition, the National Democratic Alliance or NDA, which is fronted by the BJP.
A section of the BJP feels Mr Advani may, as NDA chairman, instigate other allies to block Mr Modi from running for prime minister.
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