RAJNATH SINGH BID TO PIP SUSHMA AS LEADER OF OPPOSITION

28 Nov 2009

RAJNATH'S BID TO PIP SUSHMA AS LK'S SUCCESSOR

From Our Bureau

NEW DELHI: Rajnath Singh, the caretaker President of Bhartiya Janata Party since after completion of his term this week, is trying his best to get the RSS leadership's support to succeed veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani as the leader of Opposition.

The only negative factor in his attempt is RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's declaration that Advani will choose his own successor and in that event the latter has already identified Sushma Swaraj, the deputy leader of the BJP, to succeed him as the leader of Opposition after the current winter session of Parliament is over.

The RSS shooting down Advani's decision to let Sushma Swaraj lead the BJP team in the left-sponsored discussion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday on the Liberhan Commission's inquiry report on the 1992 Babri Mosque demolition is seen as a moral-booster for Rajnath Singh to explore his chances as the new leader of Opposition.

The post of the leader of Opposition goes to the party in opposition having the highest number of MPs and there is no role of other opposition parties in deciding who gets the post. As such, Rajnath Singh's hopes rest on the RSS forcing the BJP to give him the post as it did this week in snubbing Advani by declaring that he (Rajnath) will lead the Liberhan debate.

Advani's stature will, however, not come down from his resignation as the leader of Opposition as he is most likely to be declared chairman of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the post so far held by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Of course, he will lose the Cabinet minister's status and all paraphernalia that goes with it, including the big ground floor office in the main Parliament House building. He will be shifting to a small room No 4 that is now occupied by Sushma Swaraj and which was carved out five years ago for Vajpayee when Advani became the leader of Opposition.

A loyalist of Advani, Sushma Swaraj may, however, let him continue to occupy the office he has now and she continue to be in the same old room No 4 as next to it is the BJP's parliamentary party office that can be made extension of her office.

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