Thakeray, Modi and the BJP leadership.

In an interesting revelation, Thakeray claims to have saved Modi from being axed in 2002 after the riots. Considering the man's tendency to overstate things, I'm not so sure all credit is due entirely to him, but it seems plausible that he must've had some role to play in Modi's survival. And that raises the issue of Modi's relationship with the BJP elders. It's no secret that Vajpayee has been less than warm towards Modi since 2002, but Advani is a different, and fascinating case. His consistent, effusive praise for Modi over the years and his gratitude towards Modi for ensuring that his prestigious Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat has stayed safely in the hands of the BJP all these years seem to suggest that in addition to the BJP's rank-and-file and well wishers, Advani himself probably wants Modi to take over the BJP top spot once he retires. If that ensures a smooth succesion down the line, that's good news for the BJP and the country.