For the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate, it was a much-awaited moment — a perfect photo opportunity, and finally the endorsement.
Those who had criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for causing a rift within the party must have been astounded when senior leader L K Advani, standing next to Modi, announced that he would be “elated if Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister”.
It was Advani’s day out on Modi’s home turf as he arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday for a string of inaugurations.
Playing the perfect host, Modi ensured that he was always by his mentor’s side, whether it be at the meeting of the Somnath Temple Trust in the morning along with his political adversary Keshubhai Patel, or at the inaugurations in the evening.
Showering praise on Modi for the first time since his elevation, Advani said, “The party made him the prime ministerial candidate, and I would be elated if he becomes the prime minister.”
Advani went on to further praise Modi on his home turf, saying that the Gujarat chief minister always has something new to offer in the way he implements projects or introduces ideas for the progress of the youth and the development of the state.
All the while, Modi, unlike his usual habit of staying in focus, ensured that his mentor was in the spotlight throughout the day and in all the programmes. He also ensured that he reciprocated all the praise showered on him. “There will definitely be change with the kind of confidence that Advaniji has shown,” he said.
The cold vibes the two had shared in Bhopal seemed like a thing of the past.
As Modi dives into a full-fledged poll campaign, the endorsement by Advani could well provide him with an opportunity to show that everyone was on board.
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