New Delhi: It is a sign of the changing times in the Bharatiya Janata Party. While the party won the Lok Sabha elections with a thumping majority, one of its founding members seems to have been sidelined.
When former deputy prime minister LK Advani reached his office in Parliament during the lunch-break today, he was confronted with a humiliating situation.
The plaque with his name at the door of the room allotted to him in the 15th Lok Sabha - which said that he is acting chairman of the National Democratic Alliance or the NDA - had been removed.
The 86-year-old leader was forced to sit in the BJP's parliamentary party office during the recess, in a room earmarked for the party's deputy leader.
The room had the name plate of Advani along with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was the NDA Chairman.
However, the name plate of Advani has been removed from outside the room while Vajpayee's name plate still stands there.
In the first session of Parliament that started from June 4, Advani has been sitting in a make-shift arrangement in the BJP office in Parliament.
The NDA is yet to elect its new Working Chairman. There are reports that Advani will be once again elected for the post but there is no official confirmation over the issue yet.
Since the BJP has absolute majority on its own, the NDA does not have much influence over the government and the post of the Chairman will be a nominal authority.
