Adding to his party’s confusion on the prime ministerial candidate issue, veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani on Sunday gave another twist by suggesting that a non-Congress, non-BJP Prime Minister was possible after the 2014 general election. This could also be seen as a glimmer of hope for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who has been consistently rejecting the projection of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi for this post.
Mr Advani said in his latest blog: “A non-Congress, non-BJP Prime Minister heading a government supported by one of these two principal parties is, however, feasible. This has happened in the past also.”
By suggesting such a PM could head the government only with the support of either of two national parties, whispers started doing the rounds that Mr Advani had done a deal with Mr Kumar. “If a government is installed at the Centre with BJP support, Mr Kumar, a JD(U) leader, getting the coveted post appears more likely,” political analysts said.
The Congress and some other anti-BJP parties like the Samajwadis, meanwhile, claimed that by suggesting a non-BJP PM after the 2014 elections, the octogenarian leader has “already conceded defeat”.
Mr Advani, in his blog, also said, however, that such a dispensation might not last long.
Explaining his caution, he cited the examples of PMs like Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral (all supported by Congress) as well as V.P. Singh (backed by BJP and Left). Mr Advani said: “There has been stability at the Centre only when the government has had either a Congress or a BJP Prime Minister.”