Akalis want LK Advani as PM?

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: With Narendra Modi’s PM candidature debate heating up in the BJP-led NDA alliance, the SAD on Monday pitched for LK Advani as National Democratic Alliance’s PM candidate for 2014 General Elections. SAD leader Naresh Gujral said, “Nobody can have any objection to Advani ji. He is a senior and experienced leader of the NDA”. Gujral’s statement comes a day after JD(U) put the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on notice and gave it time till December to name its prime ministerial candidate. As JD(U) and SAD are in alliance with the BJP both at the Centre and respective states (Bihar and Punjab), the latest statement by Gujral’s statement assumes great significance as Narendra Modi is widely being seen in his own party and by his supporters as the prime ministerial candidate. Only yesterday, JD (U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched a veiled threat against projecting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as BJP`s prime ministerial candidate. Interestingly, JD(U) spokesman KC Tyagi on Saturday had also backed LK Advani as the NDA`s prime ministerial candidate saying that Advani had "changed his image from a Hindu hard-liner to a moderate through intense efforts in the last decade or so.” NDA partner Shiv Sena has said that that it is not averse to any name being projected as BJP Prime Ministerial candidate, as long as all alliance partners are consulted before announcing it. Meanwhile, the BJP, especially its Bihar unit, seemed ready to for a split with ally JD(U) on Monday over the projection of Gujarat Chief Minister as NDA’s prime ministerial candidate in 2014. Key Bihar BJP leaders including CP Thakur, Ashwini Chaubey and Giriraj Singh are in Delhi to meet party president Rajnath Singh over Nitish Kumar’s belligerent stand against Modi. BJP chief Rajnath Singh has repeatedly said that Modi is party’s most popular leader but has refrained from naming him the party`s prime ministerial candidate.