LK Advani endorsed Narendra Modi at a rally in Maharashtra on Monday
, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, has 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.
(Full coverage: India Votes 2014)"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.
(Watch Video)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.
(Advani picks Gandhinagar after all)
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 his short-lived rebellion once again exposed the BJP's divide within.
Leaders like Mr Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Jaswant Singh are seen as disapproving of the prominence given to Mr Modi. Mr Advani has often drawn attention to the BJP's other successful Chief Ministers like Mr Chouhan and Raman Singh.
Jaswant 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.
(Deeply saddened by decision to expel me from BJP: Jaswant Singh)
Sushma Swaraj raised eyebrows last week by not mentioning Mr Modi even once while campaigning in her constituency Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh.