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 Mr Gadkari will continue heading the BJP.
While RSS chief Moh-an Bhagwat, it is lea-rnt, wants Mr Gadkari to continue, a section within the RSS and BJP top brass wants him replaced in the wake of allegations of financial wrongdoing by his companies.
Sources disclosed that in case Mr Gadkari is replaced, the Sangh Parivar will prefer a seasoned player ahead of the crucial Assembly elections next year and general election in 2014, rather than a “new face”.
Sources said Mr Bhagwat met senior RSS leaders, including Bhaiyya Joshi, Suresh Soni and Dattatreya Hosabale, at RSS headquarters in the national capital earlier this week.
The RSS leadership considered and discussed the various arguments in favour of and against Mr Gadk-ari’s continuance. Sou-rces said the RSS is in no mood to give the anti-Gadkari camp ti-me to consolidate and, therefore, has given the BJP till December end to suggest a name.
After the victory in the Gujarat Assembly polls, pressure has increased on the Sangh Parivar to go for a BJP chief who has a “clean image”.