Insisting that there is a possibility of snap polls as the UPA government is marred by corruption, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani on Wednesday dodged the issue of whether he was still in the race for prime ministership or not. He also demanded a “white paper” from government on the black money issue.
Though Mr Advani was hopeful of the NDA coming to power, on the issue of the party’s PM candidate, he said: “At present, the elections are not so near. The party will decide as to who will be its PM candidate when the elections come.”
On the second day of his Janchetna yatra against corruption, which began from the late socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan’s birthplace Sitabdiara on Tuesday, Mr Advani said the UPA should inform people what steps it had taken to bring back Indian black money stashed in tax havens abroad. He claimed his yatra is not aimed at changing the government, but to “build” people’s confidence which has eroded due to corruption and price rise.
He thanked Mr Nitish Kumar for “giving strength” to the yatra. He said he was “overwhelmed” with the people’s response on the first day itself. He denied any rift with Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. “He has made it clear it is a happy moment that I am starting my yatra against corruption from Bihar where I was arrested once.”