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No dearth of leaders in BJP for PM's post: Joshi
Calling Vajpayee an int'l leader, Joshi says it is too early to decide who will be next BJP candidate for the PM's post.
Against the backdrop of senior BJP leader LK Advani's 'PM-in-waiting' remarks, former union minister Murli Manohar Joshi on Friday said he believes there is no dearth of leaders in the party to be named as candidate for the post.
He also called BJP veteren Atal Bihari Vajpayee the country's "best" prime minister.
"Vajpayee is India's best leader. He is an international leader. No one can challenge his authority," Joshi said.
"Is there any shortage with us (of leaders to be named as candidate for the prime minister's post)?," he asked when reporters sought his comment on Advani's recent remarks that the Leader of the Opposition is 'PM-in-waiting' in the British parliamentary system.
Joshi also said that a decision in this regard is too early to be made.
"Is there an election right now? It will be known when the time is ripe," he said before the start of the BJP's National Executive meet.
He also saw no issue in party activists in Uttar Pradesh, the home state of BJP chief, putting up large cutouts of Rajnath Singh and Vajpayee while Advani showed in small pictures printed on party banners.
"This is all a camera (television) story. Even I am not there in numerous posters," Joshi said pointing that Lucknow was the parliamentary constituency of the former prime minister.
