Mumbai:
Yashwant Sinha's pitch for Narendra Modi as the BJP's candidate for Prime Minister in 2014 has expectedly put the cat among the pigeons. While other leaders in the BJP are yet to comment, the party's partners in the National Democratic Alliance have been quick to react. The Shiv Sena says its first choice is Sushma Swaraj.
The Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said the party's founder, Bal Thackeray, who died late last year, "had given his consent to Sushma as he thought that she has the capability to lead the nation." Mr Raut said, "Balasaheb's word is final for us" also adding that "Uddhav Thackeray will take the final call on the current situation."
Bal Thackeray's son, Uddhav, recently took charge as the party's chief. He was a prominent guest at the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister in December and sources say that the Sena is not opposed to Mr Modi's candidacy. "Modi has shown his abilities in Gujarat,"Mr Raut said.
But another key BJP ally, the Janata Dal, has sounded a stern word of caution. "Alliances are formed with great difficulty and Yashwant Sinha's statement is uncalled for in the context of alliances," JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav said yesterday. The party, which has been a longstanding ally of the BJP, has repeatedly made it clear that the shadow of the 2002 Gujarat riots on Mr Modi's career cancels him as the alliance's candidate for PM.
Mr Sinha surprised many when he said yesterday that the party should declare Mr Modi its candidate for Prime Minister in 2014, arguing that it would benefit the party hugely. He said he was articulating a strong sentiment across the party and advised the JD(U) not "to target one individual."
"People and ordinary party workers have been demanding that the BJP should present Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate. It is my opinion that if the BJP declares Mr Modi as its candidate for PM then it will benefit the party enormously in the elections. I have no doubt that it will have a great impact on the voters," said Mr Sinha, seen as a thinking leader who weighs what he says. He emphasised that this was a personal view and that the decision would be taken by the party leadership.
Mr Modi, who won a third consecutive term in last month's elections in Gujarat, met with BJP president Rajnath Singh on Sunday and shared that their discussion had included Mr Modi's desire to "serve the country." The BJP's new president has already indicated that he favours a "bigger role" for Mr Modi, but has been circumspect about what that could include, stating only that the party's senior members will decide on its plans for the general elections next year.
The BJP and the RSS have reportedly prepped a battle-plan that casts Mr Modi as the head of party's campaign committee for 2014 and an announcement is expected next month, sources have said. But the party leadership is reportdely not in favour of declaring him the party's candidate for PM just yet. The Sena's statement underscores that despite the clamour for Mr Modi in a section of the BJP, there are other candidates still in the fray.