Even as BJP dithers on declaring him as the party's prime ministerial candidate, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said he does not dream of occupying the top post and would respect the people's mandate for serving the state till 2017.
"I never see such dreams (of becoming PM), nor am I going to see such dreams. People of Gujarat have given me the mandate to serve them till 2017 and I have to do this with full strength," Modi said, in remarks that could be seen as subtle expression of his displeasure over the continued delay in formally annointing him BJP's prime ministerial nominee.
"Those who dream of becoming something end up destroying themselves. One should not dream of becoming something, but one should dream of doing something," Modi, BJP's election campaign committee chief, said during an interaction with students.
He was responding to a student's query about whether he would come and interact with them in 2014 after he becomes the Prime Minister.
Modi's remarks came days after senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said there should be no controversy over the issue of the party's prime ministerial candidate as that would be akin to committing a "hit-wicket" and could turn out to be the only possible reason for the party losing the upcoming general elections.
"Parliamentary elections at times also become (like) presidential elections, especially when the leader enjoys overwhelming popularity. This has happened in the case of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru in the past," Jaitley, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha had said, stressing that the sooner BJP announced its leader (read PM candidate), the better it would be for the party.
"We should not get a hit-wicket. That is a scenario where nobody bowls you out, but you give your own wicket. That is the only way we are going to lose this election," he had said, adding that the party should not create any "unnecessary controversy" on the leadership issue.
