Goa, Jun 9 (Agencies) : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is finally set to make a big announcement on making Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its poll panel chief for the upcoming Assembly elections and the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The announcement is expected a day after a clearly divided BJP could not take any decision on Saturday after strong resistance from party veteran L K Advani and some other senior leaders.

Meanwhile, reports said that Advani offered a compromise formula, suggesting that Modi be appointed as the convenor and not the chairman of the poll panel. However, BJP president Rajnath Singh is expected to declare Modi as the poll panel chief during his valedictory address to the BJP national executive in Goa.

Advani, who is reportedly ill, skipped the BJP National Executive meet for the first time in his entire political career, casting a shadow on Modi's prime ministerial aspirations. The party was at pains to explain his absence, with its spokespersons insisting that his "health is really bad".

 
However, reports suggest that the BJP is keen to make a big announcement about Modi on the third and the last day as the RSS has also given its go-ahead to it, but Advani and his camp, comprising leaders like Uma Bharti, Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Yogi Adityananth, are playing spoilsport and hurting party’s image.

“Currently, Narendra Modi is a member of BJP Parliamentary Board an no decision has been taken yet to make him the poll panel chief,” BJP national spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

During a press conference, she said, “If party wants to give Modi any other role, it will be announced to the media.”

While condemning the protests outside party patriarch LK Advani's house earlier today Sitharaman added that no BJP cadre was involved in the demonstration. Advani is staying away from BJP's National Executive meet in Goa citing health reasons.

Modi, who arrived in confidence at the three-day conclave and had a string of leaders clamouring to anoint him as the party's prime ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, now has until Sunday to swing the tide to his favour as BJP leaders continue to indicate towards a "big announcement" to be made by the end of the meet.

Party president Rajnath Singh, who has appeared to be on Modi's side, in his inaugural address to the meet said all would go home "happy and enthusiastic". This could be interpreted as an indication towards a major announcement, even as the BJP leaders remain tight lipped on record.

Insiders suggested that BJP president Rajnath Singh had offered Modi a compromise formula where the latter would be appointed as the convenor of the campaign committee for the general elections. Modi is, however, learnt to have rejected the offer for now.

Sources also say leaders of party's parliamentary board will have an informal meeting late Saturday to decide on the issue.

Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman toed the party line, saying Advani was being briefed about all the developments.

"Rajnathji has talked to Advaniji yesterday and today. He is being briefed about all developments here," Sitharaman said.