By Prashant Sood
New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Having sorted out its leadership puzzle after months of deliberations and some internal discord, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to work out its political strategy to take on a resurgent Congress in the New Year.

The top-level changes in the party, made Friday in consultation with ideological fountainhead, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), are meant to convey both symbolism and meaning.

Party veteran L.K. Advani, 82, stepped down as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha paving the way for a younger Sushma Swaraj, 57, to take over. BJP chief Rajnath Singh’s tenure ends in a few days, and Maharashtra party unit chief Nitin Gadkari is widely tipped to succeed him.

The BJP has completed the process of generational change at the helm ahead of the New Year to symbolise a new beginning. The second generation leaders will have time to entrench themselves as their first major electoral test is likely to be the Bihar assembly polls towards the end of next year.

Following the party’s defeat in the 2009 April-May parliamentary election, the new team faces a major challenge of attracting young voters to the party and extending its appeal in rural areas.

It also has to prevent a slide in the party’s fortunes in Uttar Pradesh, where Congress general secretarty Rahul Gandhi has been trying hard to re-establish the party’s fortunes so that the Congress is able to take a shot at power in the 2012 assembly polls.

Arun Jaitley is Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Unlike Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, who have a country-wide profile, the party’s slated new chief Nitin Gadkari would need to carve his political turf at the national level. There will be curiosity about his team to see if there is infusion of new blood.

Much will also depend on the role Advani chooses as a mentor to the new leadership. While the senior leader is expected to ensure that transition is smooth and there are no surprises, it remains to be seen how he associates with the decision making process in the party in his new role as BJP Parliamentary Party chairman.