With BJP president Nitin Gadkari in trouble, the BJP and Sangh Parivar are looking for a replacement. While senior party leader L.K. Advani is pushing for Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, the Sangh is keen on bringing back former party chief Rajnath Singh to the helm of party affairs.
The RSS top brass, which is to hold a three-day meeting in Chennai from November 2, is expected to discuss the Gadkari issue in detail, sources said. Mr Gadkari, who skipped his poll campaign in Himachal Pradesh, on Tuesday cancelled his meeting with Karnataka leaders in the national capital. He authorised Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and general secretary in charge of Karnataka Dharmendra Pradhan to handle the political situation in the state where B.S. Yeddyurappa is adamant on forming his own party. Some BJP leaders claimed Mr Gadkari was forced to cancel his trip to Himachal Pradesh after the state unit signalled his campaigning might “have a negative impact”.
The situation looked grim for the BJP chief as the I-T department swung into action and began conducting inquiries at 12 places in Mumbai where firms that had invested in Mr Gadkari’s company had given their address.
Earlier, both the income-tax department and the ministry of company affairs began separate inquiries into Mr Gadkari’s firm and its financial dealings with 26 investor companies.