Advani to stay away from Ranchi, BJP says all is fine (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI/RANCHI - A miffed L.K. Advani may miss the oath taking ceremony of Arjun Munda as Jharkhand chief minister, BJP sources said Friday, indicating a rift between the senior leader and party president Nitin Gadkari over developments in the state. But the party spokesperson dismissed the controversy as a media creation.

“Advaniji has agreed to attend an Eid-ul-Fitr related function at the home of a BJP Muslim leader in Delhi on Saturday. His presence for the swearing-in ceremony in Ranchi is therefore unlikely,” said a senior party leader on the condition of anonymity.

Munda will Saturday be sworn in as head of a Bharatiya Janata Party-Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) government, signalling the end of President’s Rule in the state.

In Ranchi, BJP state spokesperson Sanjay Seth said that Gadkari, who ended a visit to Russia Friday, was likely to attend the oath taking ceremony.

“Senior party leaders like Rajnath Singh, Ravi Shankar Prasad and the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand will also attend the oath-taking ceremony,” Seth told IANS.

Party insiders said that Advani was upset at being kept in the dark about Munda’s candidature and the alliance with the JMM, just three months after the two parties had parted ways.

“Not only Advaniji… other leaders are also not happy with the developments (in Jharkhand),” said a senior leader.

“There is a clear division within the party on this issue,” the leader told IANS without elaborating.

On the record, however, the party put up a different face.

Party spokesperson Ramnath Kovind said Gadkari had consulted senior leader Advani before announcing Munda’s candidature for the chief minister’s post.

“These are all creation by media,” Kovind told IANS, refuting the speculation about the supposed tensions between Advani and Gadkari.

Gadkari, who is chairman of the party’s parliamentary board, had consulted with Advani and other parliamentary board members on phone from Russia on developments in Jharkhand and on Munda’s appointment, Kovind said.

He added that Munda’s was the only name that figured and there was unanimity on his selection.

“No parliamentary board meeting has taken place because the party president is abroad,” Kovind said.

Gadkari left for Russia on Sep 6 on an invitation from the ‘Water Freedom Revolution’ (WFR) and is due back Friday.

According to Kovind, names of other leaders were considered for the chief minister’s post when the BJP withdrew support to the JMM-led government of Shibu Soren in May. This necessitated President’s Rule in the state.

During that time of political uncertainty, the names of several leaders, including former union finance minister and Lok Sabha MP Yashwant Sinha, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Karia Munda and Munda, figured as amongst the probables for chief minister.

“Now everybody has agreed on the election of Arjun Munda because of some political compulsions. We are confident he can provide good governance and stability to the state,” Kovind added.