File photo of Shatrughan Sinha
New Delhi:
Shatrughan Sinha, BJP leader, is on a roll.
Despite being castigated by his party earlier this week for his remarks on who should be Prime Minister, the 67-year-old former actor and parliamentarian said today that his vote goes to LK Advani. "Please ignore him," was the BJP spokesperson's response at the party's daily press conference.
The silver lining for the BJP is that at least this time around, Mr Sinha has expressed a preference for a leader from his own party for the country's top job. On Tuesday, he said he sees PM potential in Nitish Kumar, the Bihar Chief Minister, who called off a 17-year partnership with the BJP in June.
"He (Advani) may not be a contender. But my personal view is that Advani is the best (for prime minister's candidate) suited from all aspects, including seniority," Mr Sinha said in a television interview.
He also appeared to take on BJP president Rajnath Singh, who has repeatedly branded Narendra Modi the party's most popular leader, indicating that the Gujarat Chief Minister is likely to land the prime ministerial nomination despite the opposition from a guild of heavyweights that include Mr Sinha and Mr Advani.
Mr Sinha said that though Mr Modi is very capable as an administrator, "Popularity alone cannot be the criterion. If that is the criterion, then the most popular person in the country today is Amitabh Bachchan. It is our wish that he becomes the President."
When the BJP selected Mr Modi as its campaign-in-charge at a conference in Goa in June, Mr Sinha and Mr Advani were among the dissenters who skipped the event in protest.
Despite being castigated by his party earlier this week for his remarks on who should be Prime Minister, the 67-year-old former actor and parliamentarian said today that his vote goes to LK Advani. "Please ignore him," was the BJP spokesperson's response at the party's daily press conference.
The silver lining for the BJP is that at least this time around, Mr Sinha has expressed a preference for a leader from his own party for the country's top job. On Tuesday, he said he sees PM potential in Nitish Kumar, the Bihar Chief Minister, who called off a 17-year partnership with the BJP in June.
"He (Advani) may not be a contender. But my personal view is that Advani is the best (for prime minister's candidate) suited from all aspects, including seniority," Mr Sinha said in a television interview.
He also appeared to take on BJP president Rajnath Singh, who has repeatedly branded Narendra Modi the party's most popular leader, indicating that the Gujarat Chief Minister is likely to land the prime ministerial nomination despite the opposition from a guild of heavyweights that include Mr Sinha and Mr Advani.
Mr Sinha said that though Mr Modi is very capable as an administrator, "Popularity alone cannot be the criterion. If that is the criterion, then the most popular person in the country today is Amitabh Bachchan. It is our wish that he becomes the President."
When the BJP selected Mr Modi as its campaign-in-charge at a conference in Goa in June, Mr Sinha and Mr Advani were among the dissenters who skipped the event in protest.
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