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No `dual leadership` in NDA, just Vajpayee: Advani
London, June 17: Dismissing a suggestion that a `dual leadership` existed in the NDA government, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said a leader has to be one and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee `is my leader`.
London, June 17: Dismissing a suggestion that a 'dual leadership' existed in the NDA government, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said a leader has to be one and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee "is my leader".
Asked what happens if for some reason Vajpayee left office, he told a TV network today that "I happen to be the deputy prime minister. That in itself indicates what he (Vajpayee) is thinking."
"But I think it is to our advantage and to the country's advantage that he continues to guide us for many more years to come," he said.
Describing Vajpayee as the "senior-most and most competent leader in all aspects", Advani said a leader like him was required in a pluralistic and heterogenous country like India.
"He is certainly acceptable to the people and to all sections of the people. There is no doubt about it," he said.
Asked if BJP would have to pay a heavy price in elections because of the Gujarat disturbances, Advani said if that was to happen, then his party would not have scored a "landslide victory" in the assembly elections in the state.
He said on the other hand, people of India knew how to react rightly to every situation and blamed BJP's opponents for launching a "campaign of calumny and disinformation" on the Gujarat issue.
On the US request for deployment on Indian troops in Iraq, Advani said a decision would be taken after New Delhi received answers to certain clarifications it has posed to a team for the Pentagon.
He, however, made it clear that India was not looking for any trade or other spin offs by deploying troops even though it had interests in that region.
Bureau Report
"But I think it is to our advantage and to the country's advantage that he continues to guide us for many more years to come," he said.
Describing Vajpayee as the "senior-most and most competent leader in all aspects", Advani said a leader like him was required in a pluralistic and heterogenous country like India.
"He is certainly acceptable to the people and to all sections of the people. There is no doubt about it," he said.
Asked if BJP would have to pay a heavy price in elections because of the Gujarat disturbances, Advani said if that was to happen, then his party would not have scored a "landslide victory" in the assembly elections in the state.
He said on the other hand, people of India knew how to react rightly to every situation and blamed BJP's opponents for launching a "campaign of calumny and disinformation" on the Gujarat issue.
On the US request for deployment on Indian troops in Iraq, Advani said a decision would be taken after New Delhi received answers to certain clarifications it has posed to a team for the Pentagon.
He, however, made it clear that India was not looking for any trade or other spin offs by deploying troops even though it had interests in that region.
Bureau Report