NEW DELHI: Newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party chief Rajnath Singh defended his predecessor, saying Nitin Gadkari opted against a second term due to the "baseless allegations" made against him.
"The circumstances in which I accept this responsibility are not happy for us. Gadkari is one of our workers on whose character questions cannot be raised," Rajnath Singh said speaking soon after becoming the new party president on Wednesday.
"We wanted him to continue. We amended the constitution for it... But the way he was attacked by baseless allegations - he was hurt and resigned," he said.
"I want to tell him that the entire party stands with him. I am not accepting this as a post but as a responsibility," Rajnath Singh added.
Nitin Gadkari, who was all set for a second term, had to step down at the last moment after on-field investigation by income tax department in some companies allegedly related to the Purti Group, to which he is reportedly related.
Gadkari congratulated Rajnath Singh even as he denied any wrongdoing.
"I congratulate him (Rajnath Singh). I have worked under his leadership... He has the ability to make us win the 2014 election under his leadership," Gadkari said in a speech here.
"As far as the election for a second term is concerned, there had been attempts through a political conspiracy to link me to an issue I was not related to," Gadkari said, referring to the allegations of corruption against him.
Earlier, Rajnath Singh was elected unopposed as the president of the party after he filed nomination papers for the post.
A resolution supporting Rajnath Singh as the BJP chief was unanimously adopted by the parliamentary board of the party, after which he filed his nomination papers.
The returning officer announced that 17 other nominations were also filed in Rajnath Singh's favour.
Rajnath Singh has previously been the president of the party from 2005 to 2009. He first became the party president in December 2005, following the resignation of LK Advani.
Rajnath Singh and incumbent Nitin Gadkari arrived at the party office in the same car for a meeting of the party's parliamentary board, after which he filed his nomination.
On Tuesday, after rapid and dramatic developments, BJP junked Nitin Gadkari as its presidential nominee and instead zeroed in on former party chief and UP leader Rajnath Singh to lead the party in the run up to the 2014 elections.
Rajnath Singh elected unopposed as BJP president
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Rajnath Singh elected unopposed as BJP president
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Rajnath Singh elected unopposed as BJP president
