New Delhi: The BJP on Friday performed a balancing act as it announced the party central election campaign committee head Narendra Modi’s much-awaited team in the run-up to the coming Assembly polls and the 2014 general election. The team will work under the “overall guidance” of BJP Parliamentary Party chief L.K. Advani along with party chief Rajnath Singh and party patriarch Atal Behari Vajpayee, who is not in active politics due to poor health. In an indication of Modi’s stature in the saffron party, almost the entire parliamentary board, excluding Advani and the BJP chief ministers, are part of Team Modi. The parliamentary board is the highest decision making body in the BJP. The party also announced 20 sub-committees which will work under Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Modi is considered the front-runner to become the party’s prime ministerial candidate. The RSS had been advising Advani, eyeing the PM candidate post and upset with Modi’s elevation, to play the role of party’s “guide”. Former party chief Nitin Gadkari has been asked to pay “special attention” to Delhi in forthcoming assembly polls. Sena ignores Modi factor in ’14 battleIgnoring the NaMo factor, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday appeared disinclined to support Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the post of the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha polls. At a time when Modi is considered the frontrunner for the post within the BJP, its ally Shiv Sena simply said that the NDA has “a lot of credible people” who could be the NDA’s face in the polls. Thackeray, while addressing industry captains in the capital, said: “The country needs a reliable face. Can you find one face who fits Can you see one Since we cannot see a clear face, let us elect a strong government.” Later, when asked who would be the face of the NDA in the elections, Thackeray said, “We have a lot of credible people. Have some patience. We will definitely show you the face.” He later met BJP parliamentary party chief L.K. Advani, who himself is upset with Modi’s elevation in the BJP. Thackeray apparently also discussed the issue of NDA convenor with Advani as the post is vacant after the JD(U) quit the NDA fold. The post was earlier with JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav. Thackeray also paid a visit to former Prime Minister and BJP patriarch A.B. Vajpayee.
