Riding over dissent and differences within, Gujarat Chief Minister and Hindutva icon Narendra Modi was yesterday named to lead the BJP into the 2014 Lok Sabha battle, marking the end of the era of the party’s ageing patriarchs.The BJP announced that Modi had been named chairman of the election management committee for the Lok Sabha polls, virtually ensuring that he will call the shots in the run up to the general elections.

The announcement was made by party president Rajnath Singh at the end of a two-day national executive meeting that saw heavy wrangling between a section backed by party patriarch LK Advani, who opposed Modi’s ascent, and another group backing Modi’s candidature. It’s said that the BJP’s ideological mentor, the RSS, reportedly instructed the party to end its dithering and announce Modi’s new role on the final day of a party conclave in Goa despite Advani’s absence.