New Delhi: The Narendra Modi-led BJP under his protégé, Amit Shah-axed L K Advani and M M Joshi from its Parliamentary Board in a clear message heralding generational shift in the saffron party. However, it included names like Amit Shah, J P Nadda and Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan on the board. While the changes spell out the end of the era of cosmetic changes in the party, the generation shift indicates a major re-haul in coming days.
The confusion and tussle on the role of veterans in BJP’s parliamentary board was holding up reconstitution of the party’s highest decision-making body.
The old guard have managed to find a retirement home, Shah has created a separate body for party veterans and has called it the ‘Marg Darshak Mandal’. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, L K Advani, M M Joshi and Home Minister Rajanth Singh have been included in this body.
The generation shift within the BJP has been evident ever since the party came to power and Modi announced his ministers. While there is no minister above the age of 75 years in the Modi Cabinet, the similar criteria has now been followed in the Parliamentary Board.
The 12-member Parliamentary Board consists of the following leaders:
– Amit Shah
– Narendra Modi
– Rajnath Singh
– Arun Jaitley
– Sushma Swaraj
– Venkaiah Naidu
– Nitin gadkari
– Anant Kumar
– Thawarchand Gehlot
– Shivraj Singh Chouhan
– JP Nadda
– Ramlal
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Earlier, when the governors were announced, the old guard like M M Joshi were snubbed and his plea for Mumbai Raj Bhavan was ignored. Potential aspirants for CM’s posts in UP, Kalyan Singh and the current assembly speaker in Gujarat Vaju Bhai Vala have been sent to Raj Bhavans in Rajasthan and Karnataka which effectively ruled them out of state politics.