Date:02/07/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/07/02/stories/2002070204590100.htm

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'More responsibility for Advani'

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI JULY 1. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said that although his number two in the Cabinet, L. K. Advani, had all along helped him in his work, "now (after his elevation as Deputy Prime Minister) he has to take on more responsibility'' — as that position had been formalised.

Mr. Vajpayee offered "double congratulations'' to the new Bharatiya Janata Party president, Venkaiah Naidu (it was also his birthday today).

He also congratulated the outgoing president, Jana Krishnamurthi "who accepted a Government position on my insistence,'' and Mr. Advani, Union Home Minister, on his elevation as the Deputy Prime Minister.

He hoped that the revamp in the party and the reshuffle in the Government later in the evening would make the party "shaktishali" (strong) and help the Government "function even better (aur acchi tarah chale).''

Earlier, Mr. Advani said that for the last several months, the BJP had been discussing that though the Government had done well, the challenges ahead were tough. Politically, there had been ups and downs (he was perhaps referring to electoral debacles), and there was a view emerging from the discussions ("chintan") that there should be a reshuffle in the Government and a revamp of the party machinery.

"We are happy that several Ministers who were working well in the Government offered to resign their positions to take up responsibility in the party, and similarly, it was felt that some of those in the party could be useful in the Government,'' Mr. Advani said.

Mr. Vajpayee had then indicated to Mr. Krishnamurthi that the changes in the Cabinet and the party should take place simultaneously.

"Mr. Krishnamurthi was at first not inclined to join the Government, but then he was persuaded to accept it, and naturally he then had to resign the party position,'' Mr. Advani added in a bid to paper over the plain fact that Mr. Krishnamurthi was forced out jointly by the two undisputed party leaders — Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani.