Once again batting for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as prime ministerial candidate, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Thursday said that BJP veteran lK Advani is an elder leader of the party and country but he should understand the prevailing public mood is in favour of Modi.
"Everyone in this country respects Advani but he should understand that this time public choice is Narendra Modi for prime ministerial post," said Baba Ramdev who was in Palampur to wish BJP veteran Shanta Kumar on his 80th birthday. "India needs a strong leader to rule not like the one who are currently running the Government and have messed up the economy and the nation," said the Yoga Guru without naming anyone. "Our country gave a mandate to these people and they instead kept the country at mortgage," said Baba Ramdev adding that country is at present in the State of political vacuum. One can gauge the seriousness that when the entire country was dealing with Uttarakhand tragedy, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was abroad celebrating his birthday.
"The country needs to be run by able and strong hands and not by weak people," he added. On the question of BJP veteran Shanta Kumar announcement that this was his last stint of his active politics Ramdev said that though it is internal matter of BJP but country needs service of good people and I hope Kumar will also acknowledge that.
The birthday of Shanta Kumar has always seen political overtone and this time expectations were ripe of any announcement about his political future. The term of Rajya Sabha MP Kumar is expiring in April next year.
Among those present on the occasion of his 80th birthday were BJP state in-charge Balbir Punj, BJP general secretary JP Nadda, former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti. Currently BJP is facing an able candidate crunch in Kangra parliamentary seat as party is not looking to continue with current party MP Rajan Sushant who has been suspended for anti-party activities.
Kangra parliamentary seat has always remained a BJP bastion with Shanta Kumar representing it but with his announcement of hanging up his boots from active politics after his current stint as Rajya Sabha MP, BJP is at crossroads of finding a suitable replacement at the time, when 11 of the 15 assembly constituencies of Kangra district rest with Congress.