JUNE 7- BJP patriarch L.K. Advani has decided to skip the party’s strategy session in Goa on Friday ahead of the two-day National Executive meet beginning on Saturday.
Advani has cited poor health for skipping today’s meet. The leader was however likely to fly to Goa on Saturday.
Headlines Today has learnt from BJP sources that Advani has been unhappy with the way the party has decided to handle the issue concerning projection of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party’s leader for 2014 general election campaign.
Sources said Advani differs with the party over Modi’s possible selection as the 2014 campaign committee chief.
Moreover, Goa Chief Minister Manoha Parrikar’s comment on Thursday that people above the age of 65 should introspect on retirement has not gone down well with Advani.
Advani had recently stirred a huge controversy by praising Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He had said that though Modi was heading an already prosperous state, Chouhan’s achievements were commendable since he brought development to a backward state.
Hoping that Advani attends the National Executive, party leader Smriti Irani said, “I pray that his health improves. I have got information that tomorrow Advaniji will come to Goa.”
Many other leaders skip Goa summit
Many other key leaders have also decided to skip the crucial party meet.
Uma Bharti had already written to BJP president Rajnath Singh citing health reasons for staying away from the meet.
Now veteran leader Jaswant Singh, Varun Gandhi, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Shatrughan Sinha have also cited their reasons, mostly poor health, to skip the Goa meet.
“I am not going to attend the meet. I am going to hospital,” Jaswant said.
The question is whether it is ill health or ill will that is keeping them away.
