Advani denies rift in party over Modi as future PM candidate

BJP senior leader L K Advani denied that there was any rift in the party over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi being projected as its future prime ministerial candidate.

BJP senior leader L K Advani on Tuesday denied that there was any rift in the party over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi being projected as its future prime ministerial candidate.

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"There is no fight in the party over Modi being projected as the future prime ministerial candidate. Rather I am proud of the fact that ours is a party where a second line of leadership is ready and which has aspirants for the coveted post," Advani said while addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad.

Senior BJP leaders Arun Shourie, Arun Jaitley, M Vekaiah Naidu and Yashwant Sinha had earlier endorsed Modi as a possible future prime ministerial candidate of the party.

With the Supreme Court ordering a probe into the alleged role of Narendra Modi and some of his cabinet colleagues in Gujarat riots, Advani said that the move did not have any negative effect on the party.

"There is no setback for the party with the Supreme Court ordering the probe. It will be followed by the state government," he said.

Modi had got a clean chit in the earlier probes on the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. The BJP has already ruled out any question of Modi resigning as chief minister as till now he has not been indicted for the riots.