For BJP Today it’s Advani, not Atal who made the party

The fact that Goradia, an outgoing Rajya Sabha MP, made an unsuccessful attempt to get a renomination, has added motive to the faux pas. In his farewell speech in Rajya Sabha, Goradia had expressed his frustration at not being nominated.

Thus when the magazine did not carry any article of or on Vajpayee, the founding president of the party or even his photograph, party leaders started reading between the lines. There, however, is a one-line clarification saying that due to his preoccupation with President Clinton’s visit “we have missed the message fron Atalji”.

On the other hand, Advani’s picture has been put on the cover, there is an interview with him and he has been featured as Mahatma Gandhi with a `charkha’ as well as a “modern-day Shankaracharya”. Even Advani himself, is said to be upset at the faux pas.

The controversy has come on the eve of party’s national executive which, besides other things, would disuss cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha elections and the failure of the National Democratic Alliance to form the Government in Bihar.

The meeting is expected to adopt three resolutions — political, economic and one on American President Bill Clinton’s visit — party Vice President Jana Krishnamurthy said.

The party would also discuss the Union budget and railway budget as also the recent hike in the price of diesel and petrol and the proposal to reduce subsidy on foodgrains under the public distribution system.