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  Metros   In Other Cities  03 Jun 2017  RSS favours Murli Manohar Joshi for President’s post?

RSS favours Murli Manohar Joshi for President’s post?

THE ASIAN AGE. | JOSEPH RAO
Published : Jun 3, 2017, 2:40 am IST
Updated : Jun 3, 2017, 2:40 am IST

The RSS Sarsanghchalak discussed this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi much before his trips to Germany and Russia.

Murli Manohar Joshi (Photo: PTI/File)
 Murli Manohar Joshi (Photo: PTI/File)

Nagpur: The Rashtriya Swayayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has strongly recommended the name of former Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi for the post of President of India, for which polls will be held on July 25. RSS chief, Dr Mohan Bhagwat, met the BJP national leadership recently in Delhi and tried to push Joshi’s case, according to highly placed sources here. The RSS Sarsanghchalak discussed this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi much before his trips to Germany and Russia.

Since Mr Modi has a clear cut policy on the age criteria for ministers inducted into his cabinet, both Mr Advani and Mr Joshi became the first casualties of this policy in 2014 when the NDA returned to power after a decade.

Both, Advani and Joshi are considered hard core RSS followers, which is why the organisation wants to see one of them installed in Rashtrapati Bhawan. Joshi, a former Professor with an impeccable record, fits the frame perfectly as he is younger than Mr Advani, and not too old to occupy the highest office in the country.

BJP stalwart and Union Minister for Transport and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari, was also keen on Mr Advani or Mr Joshi as the next President of India. He met party leaders independently and advocated their case but was snubbed. They also reminded him how the duo had ill-treated him when they were at the helm of affairs in the Centre during the previous regime.

Tags: rss, murli manohar joshi, mohan bhagwat
Location: India, Maharashtra, Mumbai (Bombay)