JOIN USSeeking to counter the party leadership’s reported plans to field him in the Rajya Sabha elections, BJP veteran L K Advani on Sunday said he will be contesting the next Lok Sabha polls.
“I have not said anything (about going to RS) and if somebody offers me this suggestion I will think about it. But it is natural, I think, that if I had to consider it I would have done it earlier,” Advani told reporters after unfurling the national flag at his residence.
Asked if he would fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the 86-year-old leader said, “this is what is in my mind”.
His comments came against the backdrop of speculation that the leadership was keen to field Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections to enable the party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to consolidate his position in the BJP. Advani represents Gandhinagar from Gujarat in the Lok Sabha. He had opposed Modi’s elevation and, though he showered praise on him during the party’s recent National Council meeting, many Modi supporters remain wary of the veteran leader’s moves.
Advani termed security as the top concern for the country while stressing that education and health care were also important dimensions of good governance. He also praised the Republic Day parade that showcased heavy weapons in the beginning which, he said, is a good idea.