Even as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has described BJP patriarch lal Krishna Advani as a respectable and “Sarvmanya” leader commanding acceptability among all, BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha has strongly expressed views that his party should contest the 2014 lok Sabha election under his leadership.
Speaking at Veer Kuer Singh Vijayotsava function at SK Memorial Hall in Patna on Monday, Sinha said that the BJP should enter the electoral fray under the guardianship of Advani as he is the “tallest” leader in the party.
The actor-turned-politician’s remarks have come at a time when Nitish Kumar has asked JD(U) workers to tighten their belts for the upcoming elections and make themselves “prepared for life” without BJP.
Nitish Kumar made these remarks while addressing party workers at a training camp of Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) at Rajgir.
like Veer Kuer Singh who was full of energy even at the ripe age of 80 and fought Britisher valiantly, Advani has also enough energy in him to guide the party in the coming lok Sabha election, Sinha added.
“Experience and vision are two prerequisites for guiding the party and the country and Advani is blessed with both these two qualities in abundance,” he remarked.
Apparently in a veiled remark on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Sinha said that inadequate experience could not be compensated through youthfulness itself. He, however, stated that the issue of Prime Ministerial candidate would be decided by the party’s top leadership.
Talking to reporters on the sideline of the programme, Sinha said that BJP has always treated Nitish Kumar as a “dependable” friend and the BJP should not lose him. The Prime Ministerial candidate should be selected through consensus and not confrontation, he commented.
Stating that the UPA government is both “confused and ineffective”, the BJP MP said that only his party can treat the present ailments being suffered by the country,
“UPA government will not last long and its Tehravi (last rites) will be performed in 2013 itself”, he added, In an oblique reference to Nitish Kumar, BJP General Secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the people have given their mandate to the NDA government in Bihar for the development of the state and hence they would not pardon any such leader who talks about breaking the alliance.
He said that the importance of regional parties could not be undermined and these parties have their own respective roles in the country. Bihar BJP President Mangal Pandey, Chairman of BJP Disciplinary Committee, Radhamohan Singh, state Road Construction Minister Nand Kishore Prasad Yadav and state labour Minister Janardan Singh Segriwal also spoke on the occasion,