The BJP’s plan to make the strategic move of fielding its prime ministertial candidate Narendra Modi from Varanasi for “major electoral gains” continued to be met with “stiff resistance” from sitting MP from the seat Murli Manohar Joshi, who is said to have raised the issue during the party’s Central Election Committee meeting on Saturday.
Sources said Joshi objected to “media leaks” over the issue of the Varanasi seat as-well-as the slogan campaigns against him. As the issue cropped up in the CEC meeting, party president Rajnath Singh tried to convince him of “the propriety” of the party’s move. However, the BJP veteran is believed to have asked the party chief to clear the air on the
issue and made known his opposition to any such move in no uncertain terms. According to party sources, Modi “will contest” from Varanasi while Joshi has already been “offered” the Kanpur lok Sabha seat.