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Venkaiah Naidu's appointment
infuses optimism in BJP

Tears and laughter, pain and pleasure, members of the old guard and the new generation, flowers and laddoos, music and slogans rang out as newly-appointed president of the Bhartiya Janata Party Venkaiah Naidu made his way to the party headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road to take charge.

A large number of party workers had assembled at the party headquarters to welcome Naidu, who arrived with Arun Jaitley. The latter has been appointed as the party spokesman.

Advani, Jana Krishnamurthy, senior leader Kushabhau Thakre and almost all the cabinet ministers of the BJP, including Murli Manohar Joshi, Pramod Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Shourie and Arun Jaitley were present to express solidarity with the new party chief.

To add glitter to the dazzling political show, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee made a special guest appearance to bless his party's new chief.

"He was doing a good job in his ministry. He has resigned to strengthen the party and I am thankful to him for agreeing to do so," Vajpayee said.

Vajpayee also gave credit to his predecessor Jana Krishnamurthy for doing a good job of leading the party.

"I hope he will make a useful contribution in the government too," he added.

Referring to Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani being designated as the deputy prime minister, Vajpayee said, "He had been sharing the burden even earlier."

Earlier in the day, BJP's office bearers met under the chairmanship of outgoing party president Jana Krishnamurthy.

Around 1100 hours IST, Krishnamurthy told mediapersons that the meeting decided to 'pass on the baton' to Venkaiah Naidu.

Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, while blessing Naidu, stated the reasons behind the hurried change in the party leadership.

"For some months now, we were deliberating on the changes in the party, which, along with the government, has seen several ups and downs. The challenges ahead are quite severe and after a lot of deliberation, Naidu and a few others were ready quit their ministerial posts and work for the party."

"I accept this responsibility with humble feelings," Naidu said in the presence of his wife and children.

Delivering his acceptance speech, an emotional Naidu said, "My mother died when I was a kid. My grandfather brought me up. I started from nothing. Now, I have reached this stage. I feel humble and I am thankful to the BJP leadership for selecting a young person like me, who is the son of a farmer."

Assuaging the hurt sentiments of Jana Krishnamurthy, he said, "When I was not even a party worker and was wearing half pants, Janaji was a tall leader of the Jan Sangh (the precursor to the BJP). I bow my head before him for selecting me."

In a significant statement, he said, "I will hold the BJP's flag in one hand and the National Democratic Alliance's agenda in the other."

As the powerful and not-so-powerful jostled in the small room, the party, which has been losing election after election across the country for the last three years, showed signs of being in a resurgent mood.

Senior party leaders were optimistic about the appointment.

"It's a well-thought out move, which will help the party organization," Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj told rediff.com.

"All our leaders are down-to-earth. The trappings of power cannot affect or influence us," Minister of State for Coal and Mines Ravi Shanker Prasad said.

Pramod Mahajan, Arun Shourie, Vasundhara Scindia, Vijay Goyal and about 10 other ministers and party leaders were amongst the party workers when Naidu and Advani addressed the gathering.

"The change will have a tremendous and positive impact on the states, particularly Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh where assembly elections are due next year," Gopinath Munde, former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, said.

"We will win those states with a new strategy and new programmes. Naidu is a down-to-earth man. He will make a successful president," he added.

"BJP is a party, which never allows a generation gap to grow within the party. Now and then, we infuse young blood to bridge the gap," senior leader Kailashpati Mishra (79) told rediff.com.

Outgoing president Jana Krishnamurthy, who will be joining the Union Cabinet didn't speak much.

When asked if he is feeling sad (on having to leave the party post midway through his term), he said, "I have never been sad in my life. Not even when my father died."

The Complete Coverage: Cabinet Reshuffle 2002

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