Senior BJP leader and former Union External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha on Monday ruled out any possibility of his becoming Chief Ministerial candidate of the BJP in the next Assembly elections in Jharkhand.
“I don't see myself as the CM candidate. Moreover, it would be like a demotion from me declining the post of 'district collector' to 'inspector,”he noted candidly, while addressing a Press conference in the city, adding that the party needs to works in unity at present.
Addressing a joint Press conference with Shatrughna Sinha here, he, however, said that since the election in Jharkhand has not been announced the question on CM candidate does not arise. He blamed the Congress for blocking way for a fresh mandate in Jharkhand despite Parliament's approval. He said the UPA Government at the Centre passed the State Budget for a year with an intention to prolong President's Rule in Jharkhand.
“I had objected to the passing of Budget (for Jharkhand) in the lok Sabha. I had suggested a short-term Budget for the State since it was under President's Rule ,”the Hazaribag MP said, adding the Congress was betraying the people of Jharkhand.
“Approval for elections in Jharkhand was given by Parliament after March. What stopped Governor Syed Ahmad from recommending dissolution of the House,”he asked Answering the media queries, the BJP leader said that the question of whether a tribal or non-tribal should be the Chief Minister of the State was a non-issue. “I am of the opinion that anyone who is capable and has a knack for the development of the State should be on the post. And ultimately the Chief Minister would be the one whom the elected MlAs would select,”he said.
He, however, expressed concern about the deteriorating performance of the party in the State and reiterated that the party will contest on all the 81 Assembly and 14 lok Sabha seats.
Sinha also held former Deputy Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo Shibu Soren's son Hemant Soren's over ambitiousness for the current political plight of the State. “Hemant did not hesitate to dump his own father for his over ambitions will and then in the greed of becoming Chief Minister collapsed the Arjun Munda Government. People of the State will teach the party a never to forget lesson,”noted Sinha.
He also praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and said that he was undoubtedly the most popular leader in the country. Sinha said, “Modi was appointed chairman of the campaign committee and was not declared official candidate for the PM post. But there was no one in the party who can question his being the most popular BJP leader in the country today.”
Training his guns on the grand old party, Sinha said, “The Congress should first clarify as to who among Manmohan Singh, AK Antony, Digvijay Singh, P Chidambaram and Rahul Gandhi would be its prime ministerial candidate”.