Advani to quit as Leader, Rajnath as BJP chief

New Delhi: Lal Krishna Advani will quit as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha while Rajnath Singh will step down as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President on Saturday to complete the change of guard in the principal Opposition party.

Advani is likely to quit next week which bring an end to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-LK Advani era in the BJP. Singh will put in his papers on Saturday.

Advani could make the announcement on December 21, the last day of the Winter Session of Parliament, in the Parliamentary Party meeting of the BJP.

But Advani could call it quits on Friday if Parliament is adjourned sine die on that day.

Advani's place is likely to be taken by Deputy Leader of the BJP in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj.

The 57-year-old BJP MP is tipped to succeed 83-year-old Advani under a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) conceived move to usher in younger leadership against the backdrop of the debacle in Lok Sabha polls.

Advani may be made the Chairman of BJP Parliamentary Party, a post to be created by amending the parliamentary party constitution.

Soon after Lok Sabha defeat, the BJP veteran had suggested to the party top brass to choose a new leader of opposition, but it was ignored and he was chosen for the post.

But later RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stepped in to suggest that the party better look at having a younger leadership between 55 and 65 years of age.

Maharashtra BJP leader Nitin Gadkari will take over from Singh as party president.

The race for the post of Deputy Leader of BJP in the Lower House is now between Ananth Kumar, Gopinath Munde and Shahnawaz Hussain.

Munde and Yashwant Sinha are also eyeing the post of Public Accounts Committee Chairman which has fallen vacant after Jaswant Singh's resignation.

(With inputs from Bhupendra Chaubey)