Korba: For the first time after being upstaged by his protege, veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani on Monday praised party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, describing him as "my colleague", who had put Gujarat on the fast track of development. "Gujarat is the first state in the country to achieve 100 per cent electrification of all the villages. And the credit goes to Narendra Modi", he said while speaking at a function organised at the Hasdeo Power Project in Korba district of Chhattisgarh. At the same time, he also commended the work done by the BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

"Today, if he (Modi) has been entrusted with the responsibility of the country by my party, then all the good tasks undertaken by our governments in various states would be carried out all over the country," Advani told reporters after a public function here to dedicate to the nation a 500 MW power plant of the Hasdeo extension project of Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited.

"Shivraj Singh Chouhan took a pledge of providing electricity to every village in the state. He first provided electricity in three districts. He has now completed this task," he said. Advani also appreciated Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh's efforts towards making his state a power surplus state. "Raman Singh always thinks for his people and the youth. I thank him and his cabinet colleagues for making Chhattisgarh power surplus..."

Advani's remarks assume significance as he had stubbornly resisted the anointment of Modi as the BJP's PM candidate. Though Advani, Sushma Swaraj and M M Joshi were said to have been opposed to Modi's elevation ahead of assembly elections, Swaraj and Joshi attended the parliamentary board meeting.