‘Bring Narendra Modi, see how things change for India’: rare praise from LK Advani
AHMEDNAGAR: Narendra Modi, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, has finally won public endorsement from party patriarch LK Advani, who has openly disagreed with him for months.While campaigning for BJP candidate Dilip Gandhi in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar on Monday, Mr Advani told a crowd that Mr Modi would bring change in India.
“We will change the country, your vote will not only ensure a hat-trick for Dilip Gandhi, but it will also help change the country. Make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister, bring a good government and see what happens,” the BJP veteran said.But he tempered his praise with a reminder that Mr Modi was one of three Chief Ministers in the BJP with an exceptional track record.
“Our Modiji isn’t the only one who has scored a hat-trick in elections. Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh have also been elected thrice like him,” said the senior leader.Two weeks ago, Mr Advani’s reluctance to run for Parliament from Gandhinagar in Mr Modi’s Gujarat was seen as a sign of his continued opposition to the man his party decided to project as its prime ministerial face despite his dissent.
The 86-year-old reportedly wanted to contest from Bhopal in Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Madhya Pradesh and was seen to be worried about the fallout of his opposition to Mr Modi on his chances of winning in Gandhinagar. He finally capitulated, but not without making clear his preference for Mr Chouhan’s turf.His short-lived rebellion once again exposed the BJP’s divide within over the prominence given to Mr Modi, with leaders like Mr Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Jaswant Singh seen to be disapproving of it.
Mr Singh was last week expelled from the party for six years after he criticised the perceived deification of “NaMo” – or Narendra Modi – and refused to withdraw his candidature from Barmer in Rajathan, where the BJP has picked Sonaram Chowdhary as its official candidate.Sushma Swaraj has also raised eyebrows by not mentioning Mr Modi even once while campaigning in her constituency Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh.
