(Image source from: It's Narendra Modi vs LK Advani again!})
BJP's most veteran leader is miffed and for a reason. LK Advani has gone red with rage after BJP, on Wednesday night, declared that the 86-year-old party patriarch would contest the elections from his old Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat, much against his liking. Advani had expressed desire to contest from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh this election, citing his proximity to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. However, it seems Rajnath Singh and Narendra Modi dismissed his desires, leaving him seething with anger.
Once a formidable force in the BJP, today the veteran party leader is deemed as a spent force. Just a few months ago, the octogenarian had denounced Modi's elevation in the party and the decision to pitch him as BJP's prime ministerial candidate. Although the party succeeded to ease the tension then, the new storm will take some serious effort to die.
That Advani and the Gujarat chief minister has no love lost for each other is no secret. Sources reveal that Advani feared that his electoral prospects might go awry owing to possible 'internal sabotage'. Despite his reservations, the party declared Advani as its Gandhinagar candidate.
What's worse is that no courtesy was extended to LK Advani. The decision was conveyed to him through the press, when ideally Modi should have given an invitation to contest the polls from his state.
Narendra Modi, the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, himself will contest from a second seat — Vadodara in Gujarat — besides Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
The decision to pitch Advani in Gandhinagar was taken after day-long discussion of the BJP Central Election Committee. The seasoned leader, however kept away, citing that he did not wish to participate in confabulations involving his constituency.
Nevertheless, Advani had conveyed to party president Rajnath Singh that he wanted to contest from Bhopal and not from Gandhinagar.
It is not yet known if Advani has accepted the party decision yet. All we know is that late last night, other senior leaders of the party like Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari went to his residence and urged him to accept Gandhinagar.
Advani, however, asserted that like many other party leaders like Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Modi himself, who have been allocated their choicest seats, he should have been allowed to choose his seat as well.
Ever since Modi's status gained a boost in the party hierarchy, Advani has been sulking and his desire to move from Gandhinagar to Bhopal is an evidence to that.
AW: Suchorita Choudhury
