Factionalism still plagues the BJP, with some leaders accusing patriarch Lal Krishna Advani of “instigating” filmstar MP Shatrughan Sinha to attack emerging saffron face Narendra Modi. Mr Sinha on Friday again took a swipe at the Gujarat CM’s so-called “popularity”, saying “if popularity was the criteria, then Amitabh Bachhan should have been the country’s President”.
Mr Sinha, who only a few days back embarrassed the BJP by praising Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, told a television channel Friday that “Advani will be the best choice as the party’s PM candidate”. A senior leader said with raging factionalism among the top leadership, the party’s workers were “getting demoralised” and “it now seems that this time too the BJP might not come to power”.
Mr Sinha told the TV channel that while Mr Advani “may not be a contender” for the top job, “my view is that he is best suited from all aspects” and that “there is nobody better than him in the party”.
Sources say that infighting and factionalism have hit the party particularly hard in the two key states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.