JOIN USThe BJP today said it has not decided on its prime ministerial candidate so far and denied there was a crack in the NDA ranks over the projection of Narendra Modi for the post.
Whatever names are making the rounds are personal opinions of individual leaders and not of the party, BJP national spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain said, adding only the BJP Parliamentary Board is authorised to finalise the name of the party's prime ministerial candidate and would do so at the proper time.
"The alliance between BJP and JD(U) is tested and strong and it will continue to be so in future too," he said.
He said BJP president Rajnath Singh has already directed all its leaders to refrain from making public announcement on the issue of candidate for the prime minister's post.
Actor-politician and senior BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha had earlier in the day backed senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha who had openly pitched for declaring Modi as BJP's prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha elections.
He said only official spokespersons of the party are entitled to speak on the issue.
"Beside me there are seven other official spokespersons of BJP and none of them has named any leader as prime ministerial candidate."
Referring to Congress, Hussain said it too has not named its prime ministerial candidate so far. "Though some Congress leaders want the name of Rahul Gandhi to be declared as candidate, the party has made him vice-president only."
On Jharkhand, which is now under President Rule, he reiterated BJP's demand for immediate dissolution of the state assembly as central rule is not the solution and in the present circumstances fresh election is the only solution for a stable government.
Rejecting rumours that BJP was still willing to form government with JMM, Hussain said in future there would be no truck with the tribal party