NEW DELHI: The prospect of BJP veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi continuing as members of the party's elite decision-making bodies — parliamentary board and central election committee (CEC) — looked uncertain on Sunday.

Amid indications that the party's new president Amit Shah may reconstitute the two bodies, sources said the leadership was not enthusiastic about keeping the two veterans on the twin party fora.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan is likely to enter the parliamentary board in what will be an elevation for the three-term Madhya Pradesh chief minister.

Parliamentary board and CEC are founts of authority, giving its members say in important decisions. Seats for Advani and Joshi were considered a given on the grounds of seniority and the fact that both have been party presidents.

For the two veterans, who were not considered for positions of power in the new saffron regime because they were over 75 years, this will be a far more significant blow. For Advani, the exclusion from the committees will be part of a procession of setbacks that the veteran has suffered since he was overruled on whether Narendra Modi should be projected as the party's PM candidate. The leadership had also shrugged aside the argument of Advani's loyalists that he should be sponsored for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker.

"When a generational shift has taken place and when need for accommodating fresh energy and ideas has finally been recognized, we need to make room for others who are more in tune with the requirements of the changed times," a senior party leader said.

Given the stature of the two veterans, some in the party had doubts whether Shah would go for the decisive action. The likely ouster of the duo may help Ananth Kumar keep his seat on the parliamentary board and may help Shah bring in party general secretary J P Nadda.
TOI