Rajnath Singh evades questions on Narendra Modi’s likely role

Press Trust of India Updated - June 07, 2013 at 10:11 PM.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Panaji to attend BJP National Exicutive Meet in Goa on Friday. PTI

BJP president Rajnath Singh and the party’s senior leader Narendra Modi dodged all questions about the latter’s possible projection as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, after they arrived here for the party’s national executive meeting on Friday.

Rajnath Singh who arrived at the national executive meeting venue from Dabolim airport waved at the fleet of journalists stationed at the venue, where he was received by party leaders including BJP Goa desk in-charge Smriti Irani.

He told reporters at the airport that senior leader L. K. Advani would attend the meeting tomorrow as he could not come today due to ill health.

The BJP president refused to answer questions about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the airport.

Big welcome

Modi too dodged questions about his likely candidature for the top post while speaking to reporters at Dabolim airport.

Earlier, Modi arrived here to a rousing reception from party workers and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said the party should quickly project the Gujarat Chief Minister as its Prime Ministerial candidate.

Party Vice-President Uma Bharati, who has already favoured Advani as BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, has announced she is not attending the Goa meeting. There are reports that there could be some other abstentions including Shatrughan Sinha and Jaswant Singh.

The two-day long national executive will begin here tomorrow, while a meeting of party office bearers will be held here today.

Published on June 7, 2013 16:41