Congress today downplayed the elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was inducted into BJP Parliamentary Board, saying it was the party's internal matter.
"We don't know whether it is elevation, promotion, demotion, deviation, dilution. We have no idea. We have no opinion. We are not concerned. It is their internal matter and good luck," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary told reporters at the AICC briefing.
To a question on whether BJP is trying to cash in on Gandhi surname by elevating Varun Gandhi and making him general secretary, Chowdhury said, "I don't know what BJP tries to encash. There is very little left for them to cash or encash."
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said that unlike BJP, Congress refrains from commenting on internal affairs of other parties as "we believe that politics is about issues, policies and programmes."
Tewari also described the BJP as a "regional party".
"The reality is that the BJP is not our principal opposition party. Whether you like it or not BJP is at best a regional party of the Hindi heartland with some outreach into western and some parts of south India where also with God's grace, they are going to be defeated," Tewari said.
To a question about Modi's projection as Prime ministerial candidate, he said Congress does not carry out calculations on the basis of an individual.
He said that in 2004 Atal Behari Vajpayee was the mascot of the BJP-NDA, while in 2009 they contested the elections under the leadership of L K Advani and the result was "for everyone to see.
