New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani on Friday handed over the baton of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha to Sushma Swaraj and assumed charge as the first chairman of the BJP Parliamentary Party.
The Parliamentary Party earlier unanimously amended its constitution to enable the transition. Advani asserted that he felt a sense of "relief" and "satisfaction", but said it was not the end of his active political career.
"If they think that I will quit activeness and politics then it is all wrong. I became a rath yatri at 14 when I was just out of high school, and became a swayam sewak--this rath yatra would go on for life," said Advani while addressing the parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi.
"I am grateful for your (party members) affection and cooperation. In one of the newspapers today (Friday) the headline was 'Rathyatri to get down today'. They had further written that it would mark the end of an era in Indian politics. It is a big statement. But I think in my life and political career, it is a new chapter."
BJP president Rajnath Singh said: "It is a setback for the party. The party needs the leadership of Advani ji."
The BJP has opted for a generational change in its leadership to meet the future political challenges.
Another generation-next party leader Arun Jaitely is already the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. The process of top-level changes in the party, decided in consultation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the party's ideological torchbearer, will be completed with appointment of Maharashtra BJP chief Nitin Gadkari as the next president.
Gadkari's elevation to the top organisational post in the party is expected to be announced after the party's parliamentary party meeting on Saturday.
Advani, 82, who has scripted the rise of BJP from the mid-eighties, is expected to guide the party in the role of a mentor. He could not realize his ambition of becoming Prime Minister in the 2009 parliamentary polls.
Born in Karachi, Advani joined RSS in 1942 at the age of 15 and later associated with Bharatiya Jana Sangh (precursor to the BJP). Advani was information and broadcasting minister in the Janata Party government.
He became Home Minister in the National Democratic Alliance government in 1998 and served as deputy prime minister from 1999 and 2004. He represents Gandhinagar in the Lok Sabha.
As chairman of the BJP parliamentary party, Advani will have the power to choose the BJP’s leaders in both Houses of Parliament.
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