New Delhi, November 21: LK Advani has told party leaders that he does not want to continue as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha for the whole of five years, senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu said today.
In the midst of raging speculation over who would be BJP’s new president and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Naidu came out with a public statement saying the party is keen to have Advani’s leadership and guidance and will go by his choice about the time and the person to succeed him.
He said Advani was elected leader of the party for the 15th Lok Sabha in spite of his reluctance. “He told us that he does not want to continue till the tenure of the 15th Lok Sabha and would like to hand over the responsibility to some other colleague,” Naidu said.
Sushma Swaraj, deputy leader of the party in Lok Sabha, said yesterday that she would prefer to succeed Advani and that was why she had declined the offer of president ship of the party.
He also dismissed as incorrect reports that the RSS has set a deadline to Advani to quit his post in Lok Sabha.
Naidu referred to media reports that the RSS has chosen the next president of BJP and that it had objected to some leaders, including him, occupying that post.Naidu said, “I would like to state that I have already conveyed to my colleagues that I am neither in the race nor interested to become president once again as I had been the party president once. The party has given me that opportunity at the age of 52 years.”
He said BJP and RSS do share an ideological bond. But structurally and functionally both were independent and autonomous. The same has been repeatedly emphasised at the highest level by the RSS as well as the BJP.
He said both organisations discussed matters of mutual and national interest and unless asked for the RSS never proffered any advice to BJP.
On speculation about party president, Naidu said different names are being discussed and no name was suggested or rejectedby the RSS. No name has been finalised by the party so far, he added.
“The process of consultation is on and there will be unanimouschoice of the next President at an appropriate time,” Naidu said.
He said the media speculation including the one that the RSS has assumed charge of the BJP has adversely affected the party.
–PTI–