DHAKA: Former Bihar deputy chief minister and the state’s BJP chief Sushil Kumar Modi became the first top ranking leader within the saffron party to directly attack LK Advani for his opposition to Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial candidature.

‘Advaniji has failed to gauge the public mood. Advaniji himself declared Atalji as PM candidate. Now also he could have done the same for Namo (Narendra Modi),’ Sushil Modi wrote on Twitter on Wednesday night.

On Thursday, Sushil Kumar told a news channel the party cadres were overwhelmingly supporting the Gujarat chief minister, reports Hindustan Times.

‘In my forty years of political life, I haven’t seen such enthusiasm among the party cadres. People want that BJP should announce Modi as the PM candidate,’ the Bihar leader said.

After opposing Modi’s elevation as the BJP’s chief poll campaigner for the next Lok Sabha elections, Advani has told the senior leadership that anointing him as the PM candidate will spell a disaster for the party.

A BJP leader said that a few months ago, Sushil Modi was considered close to Advani and was a vocal supporter of the party patriarch within the BJP. But the changing equation in the party in favour of Narendra Modi forced him to take an anti-Advani stand.

BDST: 1408 HRS, SEPT 12, 2013
RoR/BSK