Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said it was too early for BJP to take a call on its prime ministerial candidate and a decision in this regard will be taken at an appropriate time.
The remark by Singh came amid a growing clamour in the BJP to declare Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Singh said there were many leaders in the party including BJP veteran L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Modi among others who could be considered for the post.
"No name has been decided on PM candidate. There is no leg pulling on the issue. Whenever party takes a decision on it, before or after the election, then discussion would start. It is too early (to decide on the PM candidate)," Singh told PTI in an interview here.
"Advaniji is appropriate. He is senior leader. He has all capabilities. We also have Sushmaji, Jaitleyji, Rajnathji, Modiji. There are many," he said when asked whether Advani was an appropriate candidate for the post.
The Chief Minister of BJP-ruled state said the party was not in a hurry to decide on names. "Has anybody asked Congress and others about their PM candidate. Why BJP?," he asked.
Singh praised Modi saying he is popular in the whole country.
"I am popular in my area. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is popular in his state. But Modi is popular in whole country. He has already made a hat-trick by winning assembly elections there thrice. Whereas, I am going to contest polls for the third time," he said when asked about the popularity of three CMs of BJP-ruled state.
Assembly election in Chhattisgarh is due by year end, while Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to be held next year.