NEW DELHI: BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Friday refused to give a direct reply on whether the party would have a prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 elections. He, instead, said that the decision would be taken at an appropriate time. He also remained evasive on whether the results of the five states would have a bearing on his quest for another term as BJP president.
“There are a number of leaders and a decision will be taken at an appropriate time... Even the Congress has not officially declared when and who will be projected as the prime ministerial candidate,” the BJP president said, in an interaction with women journalists here on Friday.
“When it is appropriate, we will decide within a fraction of second... We are all good faces,” he said in reply to the party’s prime ministerial candidate. Asked on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from Uttar Pradesh, Gadkari said he was busy with his state affairs, including the Sadbhawna mission fasts. He had a word of praise for Uma Bharti and Sanjay Joshi. “In UP, where a lot of people had left the party, we had a situation to deal with, but the leaders have given it their all. Results are difficult to predict but I am very positive...We have benefited from the roles of Sanjay Joshi, Narendra Tomar and, especially Uma Bharti,” he said. He said that he had taken cognisance of party MP Varun Gandhi’s statement saying that there were 55 chief ministerial candidates, and said such statements should not be repeated.