Advani effect wanes, Rajnath in Atal team

Over the past six months, there has been a gradual erosion in the ‘‘dominance’’ exercised by LK Advani and his chosen men over the decision-making process in the party. And with the UP elections the next big thing on the BJP’s agenda, the Vajpayee-Rajnath axis will only gather strength, party insiders feel.

Ever since Rajnath took over, Advani’s 30 Prithviraj Road residence has ceased to be the hub of party activities. The new president has made it a point to hold all major meetings at the BJP headquarters at 11 Ashoka Road and is a frequent visitor to Vajpayee’s 6 Krishna Menon Marg home.

The change in the venue reflects a shift in approach as well. Rajnath, his aides insist, has not sidelined Advani in any way and consults him on all major decisions. But party insiders admit that he is in much closer touch with Vajpayee. The former prime minister had largely kept aloof from party affairs after the 2004 defeat. ‘‘But Rajnathji has made it a point to keep him in the loop all the time and meets him — or speaks to him over phone — on a regular basis,’’ a key BJP functionary said.

Rajnath’s efforts to broadbase the decision-making process in the party has also won him Vajpayee’s support. The party’s ‘‘core committee’’ now includes veterans such as Murli Manohar Joshi and VK Malhotra who had felt sidelined during the presidentship of Advani acolyte Venkaiah Naidu and then under Advani.

Vajpayee acknowledged as much in his closing remarks at the last BJP national executive when he commended the new BJP chief for ‘‘taking everyone along’’, a compliment that was equally a criticism of the earlier dispensation.

Vajpayee and Rajnath have also been on the same wavelength on inner-party matters. Both backed the return of Sanjay Joshi as general secretary (organisation) after his name was cleared in the sex CD scandal, overruling Advani’s opposition to the move.

On the Rahul Mahajan issue as well, both took a softer view — Rajnath being the first to visit him in Apollo Hospital and Vajpayee making his famous ‘‘the young can go astray’’ statement. Although Advani kept silent on the episode, Sushma Swaraj’s harsh comments, immediately after a meeting at Advani’s residence, appeared to have his approval.

Vajpayee’s role is set to increase in the coming months, especially in light of the Sangh Parivar’s strategy to exclusively focus on the upper castes in UP. The BJP, which won 89 seats in the 2002 elections, would be happy to get 75-80 seats this time and has decided to aggressively woo the Thakurs and Brahmins.

‘‘Since Atalji is the tallest Brahmin leader from UP today and Rajnath the first Rajput president of the BJP, we will use them extensively in the election campaign,’’ a member of the strategy team said. Their close rapport — with the blessings of the RSS — is likely to become even more evident then, he added.