A day after the JD(U) put the BJP on notice on the issue of the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate, differences surfaced within the lotus brigade. While a section in the BJP continued to back Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for the top post, on Monday night three top party leaders pitched in for Mr L.K. Advani.
If Mr Rajnath Singh and Mr Arun Jaitley were backing Mr Modi, other top leaders, including Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Yashwant Sinha and Jaswant Singh batted for Mr Advani.
Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is expected to match Mr Modi’s record of winning three consecutive Assembly polls, described Mr Advani as the “tallest” leader in the BJP. “It’s a blessing for our party that there are so many talented leaders with us but no doubt Advani is the tallest leader. Everybody in this country knows this fact,” Mr Chouhan said.
Mr Yashwant Sinha toed a similar line, saying: “Advaniji is the senior-most, most respected leader and if he is available to lead the party and government, then that should end all discussion.”
The other saffron old guard, Mr Jaswant Singh, felt “nobody can question Advaniji’s stature.