(Image source from: Narendra Modi and LK Advani's grand show of unity })
Veteran BJP leader LK Advani will file his nomination papers today from Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat. He will be accompanied by BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who has planned a grand show of unity to dispel any controversies.
Only two weeks ago Advani had expressed his disapproval over contesting election from Gandhinagar constituency, a LS seat Modi has been winning for the last 16 years.
Advani will take a special aircraft to Gandhinagar and head towards BJP's new office, where the senior leader along with Modi will address party workers. The two BJP leaders will then go to the nomination centre. Modi's name will be one of the proposers of Advani's name for the Gandhinagar LS constituency.
Advani and Modi will inaugurate an election office for the veteran leader in the evening, and have tea with local leaders before Advani flies back to Delhi.
Massive hoardings of Advani's poster, giving him star billing, have been placed at strategic places across Gandhinagar. In these posters Modi face is comparatively smaller to Advani. Besides, Modi's closest aides Amit Shah and Anandiben Patel have been designated by the Gujarat chief minister to oversee Advani's poll campaigns.
According to Psephologists, the show of unity is basically a signal from BJP that winning Gandhinagar seat is important for the party. It also wants to send the message that all local leaders from Gujarat will be supporting Advani during the campaigns.
Advani was reluctant to contest from Gandhinagar only two weeks ago, which was interpretted as his continued disapproval of BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi.
According to reports, the 86-year-old BJP leader was interested in contesting polls from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The senior BJP leader was reportedly worried that his chances of winning from Gandhinagar may be affected as he had continuously opposed Narendra Modi as BJP's PM candidate.
However, Advani fell in line soon and agreed to contest from Gandhinagar. But his rebellion exposed the growing divide within the BJP, an image the top leaders are trying to dispel since then.
(Picture Source: s4.firstpost.in)
(AW: Pratima Tigga)
