Rajnath Likely to Quit in Two Weeks; Gadkari to Take Over: Reports

BJP president Rajnath Singh is likely to step down as chief of the party within next fortnight and will be replaced by Maharashtra politician Nitin Gadkari, said media reports.

Reports said that Singh would quit his post even before his term comes to a close in December. Gadkari, the BJP chief in Maharashtra, may be announced as the new BJP president anytime after that.

Gadkari is expected to assume charge as party chief as early as mid-December when party’s organizational elections are due in all states. The process will last till February next year and once Gadkari’s name is announced, it will be formally ratified as party’s national council meeting which is likely to be convened in the third week of December.

Reports said that Advani was not initially prepared to accept Gadkari for the post, but RSS leaders convinced him.

Advani is reported to have told Sangh that Gadkari didn’t have stature and the merit to lead the party at a national level. However, following several rounds of discussion between the RSS and the BJP high command, he acquiescenced in.

Critics argue that Gadkari had failed to rejuvenate the Maharashtra BJP and must take blame for the party’s defeat in the state Assembly elections, but he has been selected to be president because he is non-controversial and is not from Delhi.

Gadkari starting off as a simple RSS worker and used to be responsible for rolling and laying of carpets at RSS functions in the seventies. From such humble beginning to becoming the national president of the BJP, the wheel has turned a full circle for him.