Venkaiah walks in, party begins in BJP

Krishnamurthi, who had dared ignore their hints for a party revamp, had been kicked out and upstairs with a Cabinet berth. If he had been humiliated in the process, well,

that’s what he had invited when he stonewalled their suggestions and recklessly appointed a battery of office-bearers on his own.

In contrast to the sadness that marked the choice of Krishnamurthi as presidenct following the ouster of Bangaru Laxman in the aftermath of the Tehelka expose on March 15 last year, the BJP office today crackled with celebration, crackers and bhangra. And party workers filed in with garlands, bouquets and flowers for Naidu.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and most BJP ministers and prominent leaders showed up to welcome the new president, who had been brought in by the party to reverse its downward slide before Assembly elections in 10 states. Appropriately enough, folk singers sang a rasia to the beat of nagaras outside the entrance: ‘‘Ghanshyam Mathurapuri janam le aayo.’’ On the lawn at the back, Sports Minister Uma Bharati was singing a bhajan to a captive audience of Central ministers, MPs and party workers: ‘‘Meri naiyya paar laga de bhagwan.’’ After she had finished, a colleague was overheard whispering into her ears: ‘‘You should have said, party ki naiyya paar laga de bhagwan’’ (God, take care of the party).

For all practical purposes, the party wishes to believe that its saviour was finally in place. Vajpayee said Naidu, who had been doing good work as a minister, had offerred his services for organisational work, and that Krishnamurthi had agreed to join the Government on his request. Advani said the change of guard was the outcome of an exercise initiated months ago. There was a need to tone both the Government and the party.

Naidu, on his part, described himself as a son of a farmer and maintained that it was only in the BJP that someone like him could rise upto the post of the chief.

‘‘I am a small man compared to senior leaders like Vajpayee, Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kushabhau Thakre, Bangaru Laxman and Krishnamurthi,’’ he said.

The party also had a bigger responsibility of taking along the allies from 20 parties. He would march on with ek haath mein BJP ka jhanda, doosare mein NDA agenda,’’ he promised. He announced that Arun Jaitley would be spokesperson till the party was reorganised.