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Haren Pandya meets PM, Advani

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi Nov. 30. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, is scheduled, as of now, to campaign in Gujarat only on December 9 and 10, the last two days of the campaigning. Gujarat is to have a one-day poll on December 12. Reliable sources in the Prime Minister's Office were dismissive of the reports that Mr. Vajpayee's itinerary has been revised by the BJP bosses in Gujarat.

It is pointed out that Mr. Vajpayee would be preoccupied for most of next week with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin's visit. And, in any case, Mr. Vajpayee's travel plans are finalised only by him. Nonetheless, even today, the party spokesman, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, insisted that the party had "suggested" December 5 and December 7 as the two days for the Prime Minister to pitch in.

Earlier reports indicated that the caretaker Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, was anxious to advance Mr. Vajpayee's appearances in the Gujarat electoral arena, and thereby allow himself a couple of days to "wipe out", if needed, the "Vajpayee touch".

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, as also the Deputy Prime Minister, Lal Kishen Advani, granted audience to the former Gujarat Minister, Haren Pandya, who has been denied the BJP nomination from the Ellisbridge Assembly constituency because of the staunch opposition by Mr. Modi. Mr. Pandya also met the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Brajesh Mishra.

It is believed that both Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani lent an ear to Mr. Pandya's stand that a seasoned and loyal party had been denied re-nomination. Though the BJP has given in to Mr. Modi's vehement insistence that Mr. Pandya be denied the party ticket, there is a realisation — in the BJP as well as the RSS — that the caretaker Chief Minister had been allowed to have a disproportionate say in the matter. A note has been taken of Mr. Modi's defiance of the collective preference among the senior leaders in favour of Mr. Pandya.

On his part, Mr. Pandya told newsmen that as an organisation man he would campaign for the BJP in Ellisbridge and other areas. He was anxious not to give the impression that the denial of the party's nomination had made him a dissident. In fact, he seemed satisfied that Mr. Modi had elevated him to the status of a "solitary" antagonist.

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