Sinha for Modi as prime ministerial candidate

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Monday declared his support for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to be the prime ministerial candidate which he said will “hugely benefit” the party.

Sinha has been quite since January 23 BJP presidential election in which he played crucial role in preventing Gadkari’s chances of being re-elected to the party’s top post.
He had released a statement asking Gadkari to resign on corruption charges he was facing. 

“There is a huge demand from our workers that Modi should be projected as the prime ministerial candidate and I also feel that if Modi is projected as a PM candidate, then the NDA will be at advantage,” Sinha said.

“BJP will benefit hugely in the elections. It will have a big impact on voters. I have no doubt on this.”

Sinha also advised the JD(U) not to take on Modi without careful consideration because, he it is “flawed argument” to single out any one since “either the entire party is secular or the entire party is communal”.

Sources said that Sinha, who earlier escaped punishment for openly revolting against Gadkari, might be positioning himself in the changing dispensation by making such a statement as Modi’s stakes are high.

However, the party is unlikely to project any leader as prime ministerial candidate prior to 2014 general elections to avoid any friction with the NDA partners.

Though Gujarat CM came and met Rajnath Singh on Sunday and even the two discussed about the 2014 polls, neither of the two leaders publicly stated on projecting a leader as PM candidate.

Sinha also defended Modi in secular versus communal political debate. He was of the view  that “within a party, you cannot say XYZ is secular and ABC is communal and we will go with XYZ and not with ABC.”

“To target one particular person is not fair. Either the entire party is secular or the entire party is communal. Within the BJP, you cannot pick and choose. That is a flawed argument,” he stated.

On whether the JD(U) will leave the NDA if Modi is declared PM candidate, Sinha said: “If any party goes, a number of parties will come... JD(U) is absolutely free. It is another party, it is an ally. If they take a position, they should take it only after careful consideration.”