Patna:
From Bihar came the first open warning to BJP veteran LK Advani not to create hurdles in the way of a Narendra-Modi-for-PM announcement, now expected tomorrow.
Sushil Modi, senior BJP leader and Nitish Kumar's deputy in the Bihar government till a few months ago, said on Thursday that top leaders had failed to gauge public mood.
His comments came as BJP chief Rajnath Singh tried and failed to get Mr Advani to support the Gujarat Chief Minister as the BJP's presumptive prime minister for 2014. Mr Advani's opposition, say sources, is unlikely to impact the Modi announcement.
"If you don't agree with the public mood, it becomes very difficult to win elections," Sushil Modi told NDTV. "You go on digging up the same Godhra issue in every election but you can't get the dividend of the same issue in each election.
"The public, workers are not willing to accept anyone other than Narendra Modi. You can't impose anyone as PM or CM candidate."
He had earlier tweeted: "Advaniji himself declared Atalji as PM candidate. Now also he could have done the same for Namo."
Sushil Modi was at pains to explain that he was not rebelling against Mr Advani, the party's senior-most leader.
"I wanted to convey the feeling of the workers...I am what I am because of Advani. He is the tallest leader of the party and our mentor. But I do feel he has not managed to gauge the mood of the BJP," Sushil Modi said.
Mr Advani has reportedly told Rajnath Singh that fronting Narendra Modi will spell "disaster" for the party and made it clear that he will vociferously oppose the move to name the Gujarat Chief Minister the party's prime ministerial candidate if a parliamentary party board meeting is called.
He leads a group of anti-Modi leaders in the party that includes Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi.
Sushil Modi, senior BJP leader and Nitish Kumar's deputy in the Bihar government till a few months ago, said on Thursday that top leaders had failed to gauge public mood.
His comments came as BJP chief Rajnath Singh tried and failed to get Mr Advani to support the Gujarat Chief Minister as the BJP's presumptive prime minister for 2014. Mr Advani's opposition, say sources, is unlikely to impact the Modi announcement.
"If you don't agree with the public mood, it becomes very difficult to win elections," Sushil Modi told NDTV. "You go on digging up the same Godhra issue in every election but you can't get the dividend of the same issue in each election.
"The public, workers are not willing to accept anyone other than Narendra Modi. You can't impose anyone as PM or CM candidate."
He had earlier tweeted: "Advaniji himself declared Atalji as PM candidate. Now also he could have done the same for Namo."
Sushil Modi was at pains to explain that he was not rebelling against Mr Advani, the party's senior-most leader.
"I wanted to convey the feeling of the workers...I am what I am because of Advani. He is the tallest leader of the party and our mentor. But I do feel he has not managed to gauge the mood of the BJP," Sushil Modi said.
Mr Advani has reportedly told Rajnath Singh that fronting Narendra Modi will spell "disaster" for the party and made it clear that he will vociferously oppose the move to name the Gujarat Chief Minister the party's prime ministerial candidate if a parliamentary party board meeting is called.
He leads a group of anti-Modi leaders in the party that includes Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi.
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