Friday 30 September 2011

Modi, Yeddyurappa, Pokhriyal keep away from BJP conclave

BJP leaders on Friday downplayed the absence of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi at the party's national executive committee meeting, saying there is no infighting in the party.


"Infighting is there in the Congress and not in our Party," senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters


here when asked about Modi's absence from the meeting.


Denying any rift between senior leaders of the party, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, "There is no clash".
Barring Modi and former Karantaka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, all prominent BJP leaders attended the two-day national meet of the party.


Modi's absence from the crucial meeting comes in the backdrop of talks of differences between him and senior party leader LK Advani.


That the people of the nation will decide." Prasad also described Modi as "very capable and competent Chief Minister who is praised not only in India but abroad as well". Asked who would be BJP''s Prime Ministerial candidate, Prasad took an apparent dig at Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, saying, "We have a galaxy of leaders. We are not dependent on one Yuvaraj (crown prince)." Yeddyurappa, who had grudgingly stepped down from the post of Karnataka Chief Minister recently after the Lokayukta indicted him in a land allotment case, has also kept away from the conclave. While the official reasons cited for his absence are by-elections in Karnataka and his wife''s death anniversary today, sources said he is unhappy with his removal and his weakening hold on the state government. Ex-Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, who has been replaced by B C Khanduri after increasing cases of corruption in his government, was also absent today. His unhappiness may harm BJP in the forthcoming Assembly polls. However, BJP maintained there is no dissension within. "Infighting is there in the Congress and not in our party," senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi said, while BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain insisted "there is no clash".PTI RC SKC

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