New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) The BJP has made up its mind on who the party’s prime ministerial nominee for the 2014 general elections would be and a formal announcement is just a few days away, informed sources said Wednesday.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources indicated there was a broad agreement on the name of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party’s prime ministerial candidate.
Modi is the BJP campaign committee chief for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said: “There is no confusion or contradiction in the party on who will be the prime ministerial candidate. At appropriate time, party president Rajnath Singh will announce it.”
A formal announcement may come soon, said the sources, amid hints that the BJP parliamentary board could meet this week, probably Friday, to approve Modi’s candidature.
But Rajnath Singh can also make an announcement even without a parliamentary board meeting as he has powers to do so.
Though no date has been fixed as yet, there was no doubt that the formal announcement would certainly be made before Sep 20 when the 14-day shraadh period (considered inauspicious among the Hindus) would set in, said sources.
According to the sources, a decision on Modi’s name was taken during the weekend strategy session attended by the top leaders of the BJP as well its political mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Party leaders L.K. Advani and Sushma Swaraj were of opinion that a decision on Modi’s projection as prime ministerial candidate should be taken after the assembly polls, said sources.
However, there was pressure from party cadres in favour of an early announcement as it will work to the advantage of the party, the sources said.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad earlier told a news channel: “The parliamentary board will soon meet and take a decision on the party’s prime ministerial candidate. Yes, Modi is one of the tallest leaders today and popular. We have yearning for him but allow the parliamentary board to take a call.”
He also said: “Advani is our tallest leader. We have great regard for him.”
