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RSS starts consultations on Advani’s successor |
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The RSS has started the consultation process to choose the successor to BJP president L.K. Advani who is to step down by the end of the year. RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan met Advani in New Delhi on Nov. 18 apparently to discuss the matter. This was the first time the two leaders had met after the controversy over Advani’s remarks on Pakistan founder Mohd. Ali Jinnah’s “secular” credentials broke out.
Sources disclosed that the meeting was mainly to “break the ice and improve the relationship which had soured following the Jinnah controversy.” It was further learnt that both the leaders discussed and clarified the “misunderstanding.”
On Thursday, Nov. 17, Sudarshan had met former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to discuss a “smooth transition”, sources said. That the relationship between Advani and the RSS had gone downhill became clear when during the party’s Chennai national executive, he accused the RSS of “trying to remote-control the BJP and interfering in its day-to-day affairs.”
Sources said that names under consideration for the next party president include those of Murli Manohar Joshi, Bal Apte and Rajnath Singh.
Interim BJP chief ?
There are reports that the RSS is in favour of an interim arrangement for the BJP’s top position. They are opposed to a fresh election for a full-fledged president. The reason is two-fold. The election of a full-fledged president for three years requires constitution of a new electoral college, which begins with fresh district-level elections. Such an exercise usually takes six months.
Moreover, an interim arrangement till February 2007, gives time to various aspirants to gauge the political developments. The last BJP polls were held in 2004 when Venkaiah Naidu was elected for a three-year term. But Advani took over from him and technically, the term ends in February 2007. The organisational polls will begin from July 2006. However, several states will go to the polls in 2006 and the BJP will be busy preparing for it.
RSS recipe
RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan spelt out his recipe for a strong nation - each Hindu to produce at least three children - while releasing a book - Religious Demography of India - in New Delhi on Nov. 17.
“Not less than three, you should produce as many as possible (teen se kam nahi, app jitna jyada kar sakein utna achcha)”, Sudarshan said after releasing the book.
The RSS chief asked Hindus not to get into the trap of slogans like “Hum do, hamare do” and “hum do, hamara ek” so as to keep the “demographic composition” of India intact.
To underline the point, Sudarshan leaned on some bizarre mathematics. He said that a couple with 12 sons were likely to be survived by a 1200-strong progeny after 120 years. Those with three sons, would have 38 descendants, while couples with two sons would show a zero increase.
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