RSS is keen that its PM candidate fight from the holy Hindu town. But Joshi has decided to dig his heels in after a meeting with LK Advani.
The BJP's plan to portray its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as a pan-India leader by getting him to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh has run into trouble with veteran party leader Murli Manohar Joshi refusing to give up the seat.
If the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which favours Modi's candidature from Varanasi, pushes through the plan, Joshi will become the second casualty after Lal Krishna Advani of Modi's ever-growing stature in the party and his expanding ambition.
Modi's likely candidature from Varanasi is being seen as booster dose for the party's Uttar Pradesh cadre by the state's in-charge and the PM-candidate's close aide Amit Shah, who would have much to gain if the party performs well in UP and his boss occupies the South Block on Raisina Hill.
But there are strong dissenting voices within the party. Joshi's old associate Sushma Swaraj has warned that Modi would risk compromising his development plank if he contests from Varanasi, which would be perceived as a move to rally Hindu votes.
While a samanvay baithak of the RSS, convened in Lucknow early this week, saw Kashi RSS pracharak Abhay Kumar formally asking sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat to endorse Modi's candidature from Varanasi, sources said Joshi, 80, decided to dig in his heels after a closed-door meeting with Advani.
Party insiders said Modi himself is keen on Varanasi, though it is clear that he will also contest from another seat in Gujarat - either Gandhinagar, currently represented by Advani; or Ahmedabad (east), currently held by Harin Pathak, a former Union minister.
Uttar Pradesh accounts for 80 Lok Sabha seats, the highest in the country. There is unanimity in RSS and BJP that there cannot be a better seat than Varanasi for Modi, a poster boy for muscular Hindutva. In the last Lok Sabha election, Joshi got 2.58% votes more than his closest contender, a BSP candidate. Congress was fourth in the race. The constituency also comprises five assembly segments. Three of these are represented by the BJP.
This was Joshi's first term in Varanasi. Before this, he contested from Allahabad.
Amit Shah on Tuesday refused to confirm or deny the possibility of Modi contesting from Varanasi and instead chose to focus on the importance of UP in BJP game plan. "We will spring major surprises here," he said.
Joshi too refused to answer questions about his future, saying he isn't accountable to the media. However, a close associate said that "he is a leader who represents masses and would continue to do so."
Party sources said in case Modi makes up his mind on Varanasi, Joshi would be offered two alternatives - contest from Nainital, his birthplace, or get nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP's Kashi Kshetra comprises 14 Lok Sabha seats -- Allahabad, Kaushambi, Amethi, Pratapgarh, Sultanpur, Phulpur, Jaunpur, Machhlishahar, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, and Robertsganj. Of these, the party won only Varanasi in 2009. The Samajwadi Party won seven, while the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party won three seats each.
Amit Shah obviously is hoping this division of seats would change in the next Lok Sabha election. And his best bet to achieve this is Modi. The only question now is - will Modi oblige and risk alienating another senior leader in the party?
The BJP's plan to portray its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as a pan-India leader by getting him to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh has run into trouble with veteran party leader Murli Manohar Joshi refusing to give up the seat.
If the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which favours Modi's candidature from Varanasi, pushes through the plan, Joshi will become the second casualty after Lal Krishna Advani of Modi's ever-growing stature in the party and his expanding ambition.
Modi's likely candidature from Varanasi is being seen as booster dose for the party's Uttar Pradesh cadre by the state's in-charge and the PM-candidate's close aide Amit Shah, who would have much to gain if the party performs well in UP and his boss occupies the South Block on Raisina Hill.
But there are strong dissenting voices within the party. Joshi's old associate Sushma Swaraj has warned that Modi would risk compromising his development plank if he contests from Varanasi, which would be perceived as a move to rally Hindu votes.
While a samanvay baithak of the RSS, convened in Lucknow early this week, saw Kashi RSS pracharak Abhay Kumar formally asking sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat to endorse Modi's candidature from Varanasi, sources said Joshi, 80, decided to dig in his heels after a closed-door meeting with Advani.
Party insiders said Modi himself is keen on Varanasi, though it is clear that he will also contest from another seat in Gujarat - either Gandhinagar, currently represented by Advani; or Ahmedabad (east), currently held by Harin Pathak, a former Union minister.
Uttar Pradesh accounts for 80 Lok Sabha seats, the highest in the country. There is unanimity in RSS and BJP that there cannot be a better seat than Varanasi for Modi, a poster boy for muscular Hindutva. In the last Lok Sabha election, Joshi got 2.58% votes more than his closest contender, a BSP candidate. Congress was fourth in the race. The constituency also comprises five assembly segments. Three of these are represented by the BJP.
This was Joshi's first term in Varanasi. Before this, he contested from Allahabad.
Amit Shah on Tuesday refused to confirm or deny the possibility of Modi contesting from Varanasi and instead chose to focus on the importance of UP in BJP game plan. "We will spring major surprises here," he said.
Joshi too refused to answer questions about his future, saying he isn't accountable to the media. However, a close associate said that "he is a leader who represents masses and would continue to do so."
Party sources said in case Modi makes up his mind on Varanasi, Joshi would be offered two alternatives - contest from Nainital, his birthplace, or get nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP's Kashi Kshetra comprises 14 Lok Sabha seats -- Allahabad, Kaushambi, Amethi, Pratapgarh, Sultanpur, Phulpur, Jaunpur, Machhlishahar, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, and Robertsganj. Of these, the party won only Varanasi in 2009. The Samajwadi Party won seven, while the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party won three seats each.
Amit Shah obviously is hoping this division of seats would change in the next Lok Sabha election. And his best bet to achieve this is Modi. The only question now is - will Modi oblige and risk alienating another senior leader in the party?
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