'Modi at BJP meet has no link with Gadkari's term'

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Nitin Gadkari may have differed on certain "organisation matters" but Modi's presence at the party's Mumbai conclave was not linked to the issue of latter's getting second term, senior party sources close to them said on Friday.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Nitin Gadkari may have differed on certain "organisation matters" but Modi's presence at the party's Mumbai conclave was not linked to the issue of latter's getting second term, senior party sources close to them said on Friday.

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Disputing reports that the Gujarat CM was upset over the move to give Gadkari a second term, they said Modi's priority is the state assembly polls, which is six months away.

Party officials said Modi could make a brief appearance and senior party leader Arun Jaitley, who is close to Modi, was already in touch with him in this regard.

Keen to improve BJP's tally of 127 seats in a House of 189, Modi has already switched into campaign-mode, undertaking intensive tours to highlight his signature schemes.

Modi's absence at the last national executive meet held in Delhi in October had led to a lot of speculations. He had also not campaigned in Uttar Pradesh polls for the party. Modi and Gadkari had also differed on the role of former BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi — assigned the task of election work in UP.

On Thursday, Mumbai BJP chief Raj Purohit had stated emphatically that Modi would attend the party's upcoming two-day national executive.

It is no secret that the RSS wants a second term for Gadkari and the BJP's national office bearers were informed last week that a proposal to amend the party constitution that bars a second consecutive term for any party chief will be discussed at the Mumbai conclave.