Amit Shah to meet Advani, Joshi for blessings

New Delhi

Elected unanimously as BJP President today, Amit Shah will be meeting L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi to seek the “blessings” of the veterans, who were conspicuous by their absence at the party headquarters during the elections.

Shah, who has been elected for a three-year term, also will be meeting ailing former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday, party sources said.

Shah will be meeting Advani tonight, a party source said.

His meeting with Joshi is scheduled for Tuesday after his return from West Bengal where he will be on a day-long trip tomorrow.

Advani and Joshi were conspicuous by their absence at the party headquarters here today when the entire party leadership was celebrating the BJP chief’s re-election.

They have been upset ever since they were made members of ‘Margdarshak Mandal’, which is seen by many as an indication that they have been put in guiding role in the party’s affairs.

Top BJP leaders heap praise on Shah
New Delhi

Top BJP leaders today heaped praise on Amit Shah after his re-election as party president, calling him a “good strategist” who helped the outfit record notable election victories.

“He is the most capable person and a good strategist. He has organisational ability. Under his leadership, we have recorded notable victory. And I am confident in coming years the party will march forward,” Union Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Shah was unanimously elected the party president for a second term today.

“He has commitment to our ideology and he is always on the move taking the message of the party to the nook and corner of the country,” he said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that the party will perform “tremendously” under Shah’s leadership.

“Only one nomination and that was of Amit Shah. I believe the reason behind it was the unanimous decision of the party members. I congratulate him and I have full faith that the party will perform tremendously under his leadership,” Singh said.

Hailing Shah, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said, “He is a very strong organiser and has worked tirelessly for the social expansion of the party. Be it the Lok Sabha election, Assembly elections, or even the panchayat polls, Shah has worked with the lower level of the party workers to give the party a strong presence in the aforesaid contests.”

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “He has got a tenacity and passion. All the party workers are happy and we have this hope in our mind and hearts the party would touch new heights of success under his leadership.” PTI

With inputs from PTI