BJP says 'Chanakya' Advani vowed to unseat 'Nanda Dynasty' UPA, coronate 'Chandragupta' Modi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday defended its senior leader L.K. Advani's public appreciation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Prime Ministerial candidature for the 2014 general elections while playing down the alleged rift between the two leaders.

"So far as Mr. Advani is concerned, he is like the Chanakya. This time he has not only taken up the assignment, but has also taken the vow to unseat the Nanda dynasty and coronate Chandragupta. So, I can understand (that) people belonging to Nanda Dynasty, how they must be feeling," BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said.

Lekhi also commented on Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Atul Kumar Anjan's remark, which questioned why BJP President Rajnath Singh and Narendra Modi repeatedly visited L.K. Advani's residence, if the latter was satisfied with party's decision to elevate the Gujarat Chief Minister to the Prime Ministerial candidate post.

"These people must be really disappointed and disheartened with the events and BJP's handling of its issues. I can very well understand what they must be going through. Their hearts must be really burning," Lekhi said.

"These are the people who are not used to a democratic process of decision-making. They belong to an autocratic system where decisions come in the chits and they all stamp it," she added.

L.K. Advani's appreciation of Modi, in spite of rumours of a rift between the two BJP leaders being prominent in the last few months, has been severely criticized.

Janata Dal (United) leader K.C. Tyagi earlier today said that Advani's remark on Modi was 'self-contradictory', and that it reflects a selfish method of politics.

"All remarks made by Mr. L. K. Advani are self-contradictory. He earlier said that this is not the BJP that was made by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. All these self-centred politicians and they don't care about the country. They just want to politicise their personal gains," Tyagi said.

Earlier today, L.K. Advani, who was reportedly against Modi's announcement as the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections, publicly appreciated the Gujarat Chief Minister's work in his state.

"Gujarat state has improved a lot on infrastructure and electricity. I give this example because Narendra Modi, who my party has appointed as 2014 PM candidate, has done a lot for development in Gujarat," Advani said.

It was the first time L.K. Advani spoke on Modi after the latter was announced as the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections.