Jana settles for Law, party clears way for freshers

The Law Ministry for K. Jana Krishnamurthy is the price for ensuring a peaceful change of guard in the BJP tomorrow as the Vajpayee Cabinet ...

The Law Ministry for K. Jana Krishnamurthy is the price for ensuring a peaceful change of guard in the BJP tomorrow as the Vajpayee Cabinet is reshuffled. M. Venkaiah Naidu will succeed Krishnamurthy as BJP president.

After resisting attempts to remove him as party chief, Krishnamurthy grudgingly accepted the offer of a Cabinet berth. He called on Vajpayee this morning and, according to sources, sought to know what the PM had in mind for him.

Vajpayee mentioned Textiles, and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution. Krishnamurthy said no. Then the PM offered Rural Development. When Krishnamurthy refused, Vajpayee asked him what he wanted. Defence, Finance, External Affairs, and Law were Krishnamurthy’s choices. The PM ruled out the first three, so Krishnamurthy said Law Ministry or nothing. Then he left.

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Worried that Krishnamurthy’s refusal may hamper Naidu’s assumption of BJP presidency, Vajpayee called him again in the evening and offered the Law Ministry.

Peace ensured, central party office bearers will meet tomorrow at 10 am. According to the high command’s modalities, at the meeting Krishnamurthy would announce his decision and propose Naidu as successor. The officebearers would second his proposal and request the new president to create his team.

Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar, slated to be shifted to the party as a general-secretary, has managed to cling to his berth, thanks to the intervention of his patrons, Deputy PM L.K. Advani and Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan. The Karnataka BJP too pleaded with the PM to retain him.

Former UP CM Rajnath Singh and former Law Minister Arun Jaitley are set to be appointed general-secretaries.

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