Advani turns 83; Prez, PM wish him

LD ADVANI

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) leader L K Advani Sunday celebrated his 83rd birthday in
the shadow of reports that he may quit as Leader of the
Opposition by end of January next.

Indian President Pratibha Patil sent flowers to him while
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Speaker of Lok Sabha (Lower
House of Indian Paliament) Meira Kumar wished him over phone.
There are indications, including from the Rashtriya Seva
Sangh (RSS), that Advani may quit as Leader of the Opposition
once BJP gets a new president as the term of the incumbent
Rajnath Singh expires next month.
Controversy over Advani's continuance in positions of
significance started after the debacle in the May Lok Sabha
polls in which he was projected as the prime ministerial
candidate.
Though he offered to quit after the defeat, he was
persuaded to continue as Leader of the Opposition but serious
questions were raised once various party leaders raked up
issues over the way the affairs of the BJP were being
conducted.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had stepped in to make it clear
that the party leadership should pass on to the younger
generation.
Others who visited Advani's residence on the occasion
included BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth
Kumar, Kalraj Mishra, Shahnawaz Hussain and actor-turned-
politician Smriti Irani. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief
Om Prakash Chautala also called on the BJP leader to wish him
personally. PTI RC
ANU


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