Jaitley-Mahajan lead pair in Assam

While Javadekar has worked closely with Mahajan in the past, he also enjoys a good rapport with former party president Venkaiah Naidu under whom he had worked as part of the central team earlier. According to sources, Javedekar’s appointment has been prompted by Naidu who — as Advani’s most trusted aide — is once again calling the shots at 11, Ashoka Road.

The more significant decision though is the bid to project the Jaitley-Mahajan duo as a team rather than as suspicious rivals, sources said.

This is not the first time such an attempt has been made. Just before the Bihar elections, Mahajan was despatched to the state to help oversee the campaign even as Jaitley — as general secretary in charge of Bihar — was camping in Patna. At that time, a senior party leader had described them as the ‘‘two Arjuns’’ of the BJP.

Although there was no reported friction between the two, neither was much team work evident. While Jaitley remained confined to Patna, Mahajan campaigned in the rest of the state.

The party leadership, sources said, is keen to groom a set of second generation leaders to take over the reins of the party once Vajpayee and Advani complete their innings. The RSS, too, has been putting pressure on the BJP veterans to hand over charge to a new generation.

The second generation leaders, too, realise that mutual rivalry at this stage only causes more harm to their image and prospects, sources said. In the case of Mahajan and Jaitley, recent events have brought them closer for tactical reasons. Uma Bharati, once considered close to Jaitley and openly anti-Majahan, has now turned hostile to Jaitley as well. Jaitley and Mahajan are also wary of Sushma Swaraj, who enjoys the backing of the RSS for the top post.

Today’s announcement also indicates that Mahajan’s rehabilitation in the party is complete. After the successive defeats in the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra polls, Mahajan was under a cloud. But the party leadership refused to give in to pressure from RSS hardliners who wanted his wings clipped.