Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naiu has said his party cannot help it if other parties or leaders do not like the decision to elevate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the BJP’s campaign committee chairman. Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Monday, Naidu also skirted questions over whether the Vajpayee- Advani era had ended for the party, saying the party would address the question of the Prime Ministerial candidate at a later date.
In response to questions whether the BJP had put the Vajpayee-Advani era behind it, Naidu said, “Advaniji is our tallest leader. He has the moral authority.” He refused to expand any further. He did, however, hit out at JD (U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said it was improper of him to comment on the internal workings of the BJP.
“Are we going around commenting on who should be in what position in the JD (U)? Modiji has been named campaign committee chairman, not Prime Ministerial candidate. There is a huge anti-Congress and pro-BJP wave across the country. Modiji is the most popular leader in the country and the BJP is the darling of the masses. If some are unable to digest this, there is nothing we can do,” said Naidu.
He hit out at the Congress, saying it was facing deficits in governance and trust. “The moment it felt it was getting weaker, the Congress has gone to its old tune of secularism being under threat. This is the same party that is ruling in Hyderabad with the help of (Akbaruddin) Owaisi and the MIM. So where is this secularism they keep claiming to have?” asked Naidu.
He expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge the single largest party in the coming Lok Sabha elections and form the next government. He added that his party was evolving strategies for the entire country for the coming polls.