After a prominent RSS leader in Gujarat went public with the organisation’s policy of equidistance from Chief Minister Narendra Modi and rebel Keshubhai Patel, the BJP is in a damage control overdrive. A Gujarat functionary of the RSS had described the power struggle in the BJP as a tussle between siblings and that the Sangh, as a parent, was helpless to intervene.Leader of Opposition L K Advani and party chief Rajnath Singh discussed the issue in New Delhi while party General Secretary Arun Jaitley, who was in Ahmedbad, took up the matter with Modi. BJP sources said Advani is likely to discuss the issue with the RSS leadership soon. The statement came amidst efforts by the BJP to reverse the RSS indifference towards the Gujarat election effort. The Sangh source said that as early as 2005 the RSS had taken a decision to not involve in electioneering as an organisation. In Gujarat too the same principle will apply — individual workers were free to take part in campaigning, but the Sangh would keep off.
