New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) A galaxy of BJP bigwigs came together to release its much delayed manifesto Monday, but an iciness between prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and manifesto committee chief Murli Manohar Joshi was evident.
The apparent differences that caused delay in release the of the manifesto - happening on the first day of Lok Sabha poll - were sought to be glossed over with presentation of a united face in public and before cameras.
Party insiders said the delay in the manifesto release was due to "differences between Modi and Joshi". Modi wanted some changes in the document, which Joshi was not happy with, those privy to inner-party affairs said on condition of anonymity.
The BJP officially dubbed the delay as a "logistic issue", saying leaders were busy campaigning.
Modi, who sat at the centre of the stage, was flanked on either side by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh and Joshi. While he engaged in conversation with Rajnath Singh several times, no words were exchanged with Joshi. Neither did Modi try and supplement whatever Joshi was saying.
Both Rajnath Singh and Modi appeared uninterested and were seen chatting and flipping pages of the manifesto booklet as Joshi made his presentation on the key promises and answered most of journalists' queries.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and veteran leader L.K. Advani were also seen sitting quietly on the flanks.
However, when it came to words, the leaders said all the right things.
Joshi referred to Modi as the "future prime minister", Advani repeated time and again that he was "very happy" with these elections, while Modi chose to focus on the manifesto alone.
While the tension between leaders prevailed, it was decided by the party to give prominence to Joshi, in an apparent attempt to pacify the elder who felt sidelined by Modi. Joshi took the few questions asked by journalists, and stayed back after the official release function was over to answer more.
The only time when the BJP prime ministerial candidate was seen exchanging a word with Joshi was a brief moment before leaving the stage, an apparent good bye.
The BJP, anticipating a large crowd, organised the release not at its national headquarters, but in the premises of the adjoining 9, Ashoka Road, official bungalow of senor leader Arun Jaitley, who was out campaigning in Amritsar where he filed his nomination papers. Also missing were former party presidents Nitin Gadkari and M Venkaiah Naidu.
Modi, whose voice was already hoarse addressing election rallies, left soon after the event was over for his public meetings scheduled for the day.
From the national capital Delhi to the financial capital Mumbai, and in cities nestled in the mou
Up to 40% off on newly launched laptops from Dell, HP, and Lenovo in Amazon deals
If you want a laptop with an i3 processor that can last up to 7 hours, don't forget to check lapt
Cyclone Montha has begun to make landfall, bringing heavy rain to the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu
Fast bowler James Anderson has created history in the second Test match of the three-match series
ISRO chief S Somnath on Sunday said women combat test pilots will be sent to space in future mann
Indian-origin Aruna Miller has created history in America. Aruna has won the election of lieutena
Actress and BJP MP from Mandi parliamentary constituency Kangana Ranaut said that using fake
Allahabad High Court has approved the anticipatory bail plea of Sushil Singhania, uncle of
Parliament Passes Citizenship Amendment Bill
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Parliament on Wednesday passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill which s
Petrol and diesel have become cheaper in Maharashtra. Petrol prices have been cut by Rs 5 while d