Advani meets Vajpayee, expresses his gratitude

Bharatiya Janata Partys prime ministerial candidate and former party president L K Advani on Tuesday paid a visit to the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and expressed his gratitude.

New Delhi, Dec 11 : Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate and former party president L K Advani on Tuesday paid a visit to the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and expressed his gratitude.

On Monday after being chosen as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate, Advani said that he was specially grateful to Vajpayee, "under whose leadership I have worked."

It has been reported that Vajpayee's support to Advani finally led to the latters selection for the prime ministerial candidate.

Commenting on this development, Prime Manmohan Singh said that the decision by the BJP just ahead of Gujarat polls was taken as the party is increasingly nervous of the polls in the State and feels threatened by its own leader in the State, Narendra Modi.

"The BJP felt threatened by Modi and hence felt the need to appoint somebody else as the prime ministerial candidate, a day before the Gujarat election," said Manmohan Singh at a rally in Vadodara.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal United President Sharad Yadav said that Advani has been "our colleague and I don't have any problem in his nomination as the Prime Ministerial candidate."

"BJP is the biggest constituent of the NDA and they have right to choose their Prime Ministerial candidate. Important thing is not the name but the National Agenda of governance and that really guides in governance", said Sharad Yadav.

Reacting to this development, Congress party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad had said: "They (BJP leaders) have taken this step at a time when first phase of polling in Gujarat begins."

ANI