The BJP on Saturday tried to play the secular card with party president Rajnath Singh me-eting a group of Mus-lim leaders at the party headquarters. The new-ly-elected BJP chief, in an attempt to reach out to the minority community, said the BJP “is not anti-minority” and that “branding the BJP as an anti-Muslim outfit is a conspiracy of rival outfits.” He ad-ded: “BJP is not a party which creates enmity between Hindus and Muslims.

Q. How do you view the circumstances in which Nitin Gadkari had to resign as BJP president?

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, considered a front-runner in the race to be the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, met newly-elected party chief Rajnath Singh amid

Speculation on Nitin Gadkari’s continuance as BJP chief will end on January 23. On Sunday the party issued a notification that it will elect its next chief that day. Mr Gadkari, whose term is likely to be extended at the RSS’ insistence, is expected to file his nomination January 23. The notification said the result will be declared the same day, and if there is a contest the polling date will be announced that day.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in an emotive speech at BJP headquarters on Thursday not only re-established his link with 11, Ashoka Road but also indicated his willingness to shoulder greater responsibilities.

The RSS has set a deadline for the BJP: Either suggest a successor to party president Nitin Gadkari by the end of this month or the Sangh Parivar fountainhead will take a final call on whether or not

Faced with a fresh crisis in Karnataka, where its former leader B.S.

Despite the support of Ms Mayawati’s BSP and the SP’s clear indication that it would walk out, the government was in no mood to take chances in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

The government is set to go full steam ahead with the reforms process after it secured a 21-vote victory in the Rajya Sabha on the issue of FDI in mutli-brand retail on Friday. The Opposition-backed motion against FDI in multi-brand retail got 102 votes, while the government got the votes of 123 of the total 225 MPs present in the Upper House; 19 MPs, including nine of the SP, did not vote. The total strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244.

Uncertainty over the fate of BJP chief Nitin Gadkari has left party’s state units confused.