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Vajpayee supports Advani for PM's candidature

At the BJP conclave Vajpayee said he had full support and blessings for Advani, reports Umesh Raghuvanshi.

Published on: Dec 23, 2006, 23:19:00 IST
None | By , Lucknow
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Does the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee support the senior party leader Lal Krishna Advani for the post of Prime Minister? As this question did rounds among the delegates at the BJP conclave Vajpayee said he had full support and blessings for Advani.

As Vajpayee was leaving the venue some television journalists asked him whether he would support Advani for Prime Minister's post after 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Vajpayee kept quite for some time. After some time he turned back and said pura pura kar rahe hain (I have full support.)

Vajpayee's observation has saved Advani from embarrassment. There were however moments of embarrassment for some other leaders. Senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh must have felt embarrassed when the BJP President Rajnath Singh asked him to cut short his speech. It was when Kalyan Singh was speaking in support of a resolution on "UPA government's vote bank politics" that Rajnath Singh got the message that tea for delegates was ready.

Rajnath Singh first saw his watch and murmured that Kalyan Singh was not even looking at his watch. When Kalyan continued the BJP President asked him to cut short the address. Raj Nath Singh also asked the Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to end her speech when the latter began speaking on power projects that would be beneficial to UP. "Now you have reached UP. Finish it now," said Singh who had earlier asked the Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi to cut short his address.

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  • Umesh Raghuvanshi
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Umesh Raghuvanshi

    Umesh Raghuvanshi is a journalist with over three decade experience. He covers politics, finance, environment and social issues. He has covered all assembly and parliament elections in Uttar Pradesh since 1984.Read More

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