New Delhi: Despite stiff opposition by BJP patriarch L K Advani and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Narendra Modi will be declared as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 polls on Friday, sources said. Advani stood firmly against Modi, though BJP president Rajnath Singh and other leaders tried to convince him during two rounds of discussions that majority of the BJP leadership, its cadres and the ideological parent, the RSS, overwhelmingly wanted Modi as the PM candidate.
In fact, the RSS has told the BJP leaders not to delay the announcement, believing Modi's surging popularity among party workers could spread to voters and turn the mood in favour of the BJP. Therefore, the leaders decided that Modi will be announced as the PM candidate despite Advani’s views. Singh and other BJP leaders held hectic parleys to work out a consensus before the much-awaited announcement. The BJP president has asked state leaders to reach Delhi by Friday afternoon. His plan appears to convene the BJP parliamentary board ahead of the announcement even if Advani vetoes the nomination.
To iron out differences, he also sought meetings with Sushma Swaraj, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, and senior party Murli Manohar Joshi, who share Advani’s sentiments about Modi’s nomination but are expected to fall in line ultimately under RSS pressure. The BJP wants to avoid a repeat of the situation that arose in June this year, when Advani had quit from all posts after Modi was named the head of BJP’s campaign committee for the Lok Sabha pollls. He returned to the party fold only after the intervention by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Meanwhile, attacking Narendra Modi, Advani's close associate Sudheendhra Kulkarni asked as to how a leader who has "polarised" the society and even his party can run a stable and effective government at the centre. "A socially polarising leader has polarised his own party. Can he run a smooth, stable and effective government at the Centre? THINK SERIOUSLY!" Kulkarni said on Twitter about Narendra Modi without naming him.
"Elections are seven months away. People want a change. But who will provide the change? Leaders who are polarising the society?" Kulkarni. He maintained that there is no unanimity in the party about the Prime Ministerial candidate. "Question does arise that can such a leader ensure a smooth government and peace in the society," he said.
Earlier, Singh downplayed Advani’s reservations saying “nobody is unhappy and nobody has put any conditions (on declaring Modi as prime ministerial candidate).” Advani also faced criticism from senior BJP leader from Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi for his opposition to Modi. “Advaniji has failed to gauge the public mood. Advaniji himself declared Atalji as PM candidate. Now also he could have done the same for Namo (Narendra Modi),” Sushil Kumar tweeted on Wednesday. Sushil Kumar was considered close to Advani till a few months ago, but changed his stance in view of Modi’s popularity.
