Nov. 18: Former BJP general secretary K.N. Govindacharya, the man behind the Ramjanmabhoomi campaign and L.K. Advani’s rath yatra, has decided to return from his self-imposed political exile just before the 2009 general elections.

The Sangh ideologue’s comeback may give the Hindutva forces a stronger national face than BJP renegade Uma Bharti. She announced in Bhopal today that Govindacharya would be the national president of her Bharatiya Janshakti Party.

Govindacharya, who was in Delhi, said: “In principle, I agree to the proposal, but practical aspects will have to be thought of.”

Uma’s party, he added, “is of course an option but we are looking for a bigger platform of nationalist forces.”

“Umaji… is running her party quite well.... I will go to Bhopal tomorrow to discuss the nature of my association with the party.”

The emergence of any political outfit from the saffron stable could hurt the BJP in the elections. Govindacharya’s formal return is timed just ahead of the general elections, on January 14, 2009, which is Makar Sankranti.

Govindacharya was removed as BJP general secretary in 2000 after his remark that Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister, was only a “mukhota” (mask) of the party. He later quit the BJP.