This Article is From Jul 09, 2014

The RSS Hand in Amit Shah's Crowning As BJP chief

The RSS Hand in Amit Shah's Crowning As BJP chief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Amit Shah at a press conference in New Delhi where an announcement on his appointment as BJP chief was made

New Delhi: Announcing Amit Shah's appointment as his successor, BJP chief Rajnath Singh said today that he was stepping down to honour party rules that disallow one member from holding two posts. Mr Singh is now Home Minister in the Narendra Modi government.

But there is more to Mr Shah's appointment than just the need to fill a slot. It is being seen as a well-coordinated part of an exercise that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS began in June last year by engineering the elevation in the BJP of Mr Modi in preparation of his becoming PM. (How Amit Shah Delivered Uttar Pradesh For the BJP)

The RSS reportedly believes that giving Mr Modi a BJP president of his choice will ensure good coordination between the party and the government. Mr Shah is not only Mr Modi's protege and confidant, but also worked closely with him as his home minister for many years when Mr Modi was Gujarat chief minister.  (Gujarat minister Amit Shah resigns, Modi says Shah is not guilty)

Both the RSS and BJP leadership reportedly overcame serious reservations over the two powerful posts going to people from the same state. The bigger need was to avoid a situation like that of the Congress, where there were two power centres in party president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the party and government were often at odds, sources said.   

After Rajnath Singh joined the Modi cabinet in May, the BJP reportedly discussed the names of a number of senior party leaders like JP Nadda and Om Prakash Mathur to succeed him, but Mr Shah soon emerged as a distinct front runner.

A major organisational revamp of the BJP is also on the cards, with many office-bearers being appointed ministers in Mr Modi's government. A new BJP president gets his own team of office bearers.

The RSS, which has sought to play a more hands on role in the BJP over the last few years, has this week deputed two senior members to join the BJP in organisational roles, among them spokesman Ram Madhav, one of the most prominent faces to cross over from the Sangh to active politics. (Senior RSS Leader Ram Madhav to Join BJP)

In 2009, the RSS had picked Nitin Gadkari to be BJP president and then in 2012 backed Rajnath Singh for the post when Mr Gadkari had to resign amid controversy.

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