Look for 'young' president to restore BJP: RSS chief

Distancing himself from decision-making process in the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday that he had counselled the party leadership to look for a young candidate who can restore its organisational set-up.

The RSS gives advice to BJP only when it is solicited as the party has its 'Swayamsevaks' in its ranks, he told media-persons in Pune. On his reported statement that the new BJP president would be from outside Delhi, he said he had only articulated the views expressed by the BJP leadership.

Asked whether the RSS favoured Nitin Gadkari from Maharashtra for the post, Bhagwat said he never made a statement to that effect. Bhagwat said there were three to four names that were being discussed to head the party.

"We have conveyed our expectations of the new leader and if they (BJP leaders) approach us after taking a decision, we will okay it," he added. On the RSS' expectations, he said, "We have told them (BJP) to restore and tighten the party's organisational system and structure and choose a young president having leadership mindset."

Replying to a question, Bhagwat said RSS had never set a deadline for Leader of the Opposition L K Advani to step down by February and its spokesman Ram Madhav had already denied the statement attributed to him.