Goa:
Over-ruling a faction of its senior leaders, the BJP is likely to anoint
Narendra Modi the head of an election committee on Sunday, the final day of the party's Goa conclave.
The promotion of the controversial Chief Minister of Gujarat was listed yesterday as an imperative to party president Rajnath Singh by the BJP's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh or RSS, according to sources.
The diaspora within the party against Mr Modi is headed by LK Advani, who called in sick today to skip an important session of the 12 office-bearers of BJP. The BJP president, Mr Singh, said that Mr Advani's no-show today is not an expression of protest, and that he will arrive in Goa tomorrow.
(Track live updates) A member of the parliamentary board, Sushma Swaraj, was reportedly so upset with the party ignoring Mr Advani's point-of-view that she refused to leave her hotel to attend the meeting of the parliamentary board. Sources say the BJP president had to convince her on the phone to change her mind.
In an attempt to neutralize Mr Advani's projection as the face of the BJP, Mr Advani who is 85, had suggested that the BJP create two election committees for state and national polls. He said Mr modi could captain one, while former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari could lead the other.
That pitch did not fly, partly because this week, Mr Modi proved his calibre as a vote-getter by delivering six new seats for the BJP in by-elections in Gujarat.
Mr Modi's detractors fear that his elevation as chief of the party's election committee is just one step away from him being declared the BJP's prime ministerial candidate - a position some of them believe they deserve.
Other leaders affiliated to Mr Advani - Jaswant Singh, Uma Bharti, and Shatrugan Sinha - have also said they are too unwell to travel to Goa.