Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharati met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K S Sudarshan in Nagpur on Thursday. The meeting assumes significance in light of the strained relations between the BJP and the RSS, and the ongoing war of words between the BJP and National Democratic Alliance convenor George Fernandes [Images].

• RSS asks Fernandes to stay away

The meeting also assumes significance in view of reports several months ago that the RSS wanted Bharati to take over as the BJP president. Reports had appeared in a section of the media to the effect that the RSS was keen on Bharati taking over the reigns of the party when Venkaiah Naidu stepped down.

Bharati was said to be the preferred choice because she is a lady, aggressive on Hinduism and belongs to an Other Backward Caste -- Lodhi.

The RSS top brass is said to have figured at the time that Bharati's appointment would help revitalise the BJP as she would appeal to the women and the OBCs besides reviving aggressive Hinduism. However, it was Lal Kishenchand Advani who took over as the BJP chief.

Although no official word was available about what transpired at the meeting in Nagpur on Thursday, Sudarshan is believed to have sounded out Bharati on the possibility of and her willingness to take over the reigns of the saffron brotherhood's political wing.

• Bhagwat briefs Sudershan in Nagpur

Sources believe that the change may not be immediate since reports from New Delhi said that Advani has bought himself time till December 2005.

Bharati was closeted with the Sudarshan for nearly three hours at the RSS headquarters in Mahal, Nagpur. Emerging from the meeting, Bharati told the posse of waiting newsmen that she had met Sudarshan only as a courtesy call and that no politics was discussed.

"I did not discuss politics with Sudershan," she said. "I had come to Nagpur to attend the wedding ceremony of a relative and took advantage of the visit to meet Sudarshan since he also happened to be in the city. Since it was lunchtime, I had lunch with him," he added.

Reiterating that there was no political discussion during the meeting, Bharati quipped: "I am not in the habit of lying."

Bharati refused to comment on the current stand-off between the BJP and National Democratic Alliance convenor George Fernandes, saying she would not make any political statement. Bharati later left for Bhopal by train.

Sudarshan has been camping in Nagpur at the organisation's headquarters since the Surat conclave, after which the RSS started to mount pressure on Advani to quit.

Central India News Service