Even as BJP dithers on declaring him as the party’s prime ministerial candidate, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi Thursday said he does not dream of occupying the top post and would respect the people’s mandate for serving the state till 2017.
“I never see such dreams (of becoming PM), nor am I going to see such dreams. People of Gujarat have given me the mandate to serve them till 2017 and I have to do this with full strength,” Modi said, in remarks that could be seen as subtle expression of his displeasure over the continued delay in formally annointing him BJP’s prime ministerial nominee.
“Those who dream of becoming something end up destroying themselves. One should not dream of becoming something, but one should dream of doing something,” Modi, BJP’s election campaign committee chief, said during an interaction with students.
Modi was responding to a student’s query about whether he would come and interact with them in 2014 after he becomes the Prime Minister.
Modi’s remarks came days after senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said there should be no controversy over the issue of the party’s prime ministerial candidate as that would be akin to committing a “hit-wicket” and could turn out to be the only possible reason for the party losing the upcoming general elections.
“Parliamentary elections at times also become (like) presidential elections, especially when the leader enjoys overwhelming popularity. This has happened in the case of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru in the past,” Jaitley, leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha had said, stressing that the sooner BJP announced its leader (read PM candidate), the better it would be for the party.
“We should not get a hit-wicket. That is a scenario where nobody bowls you out, but you give your own wicket. That is the only way we are going to lose this election,” Jaitley had said, adding that the party should not create any “unnecessary controversy” on the leadership issue.
Jaitley has often insisted on declaring Modi as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. However, some top leaders including L.K. Advani are said to be opposed to the idea as they consider the Gujarat strongman as a polarising figure.
Thursday’s remarks by Modi would surprise many as less than a month ago he had pitched himself firmly as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate challenging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to a public debate on governance on Independence Day.
Modi, who Thursday shared the dais with governor Kamla Beniwal for the first time after she returned the contentious Lokayukta Bill to the government for reconsideration by the legislative assembly with stinging remarks, answered students’ questions ranging from his yoga skills to the proposed 182 metre “Statue of Unity” of Sardar Patel.
Addressing the gathering, which consisted mainly of students and teachers on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, Modi also took a dig at the Centre for the tumbling rupee.
“The state government also intends to increase the amount given in award to teachers as rupee has lost its value. Our rupee has been admitted in ICU (intensive care unit), so we have to increase the amount so that teachers do not feel dishearthened,” Modi said at the function where several teachers were felicitated.