BJP likely to declare Modi as PM candidate next week

Even as the leaders of various opposition parties are leaving no stone unturned in targetting Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to announce the Gujarat Chief Minister as its Prime Ministerial candidate possibly by next week.

Sources state that BJP-RSS Coordination would meet here on Sunday to take a final call in this regard.

According to reports, BJP President Rajnath Singh, who held back the announcement in the hope of achieving unanimity on Modi, has decided to go ahead despite continuing reservations from a couple of senior leaders.

He conveyed his readiness to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday and followed that up by apprising former BJP chief Murli Manohar Joshi of the same on Thursday.

The BJP President yesterday said the criticism of Modi has increased after he was made the party's campaign committee chief, and added that such attacks by the political opponents would increase in the days to come.

Modi, who is considered by many to be the BJP's face for the next general elections, had earlier on September 5 said that his main priority is to serve the people of Gujarat till 2017.

"We shouldn't dream about becoming something but doing something. I have been given a mandate till 2017 by people of Gujarat and will continue to serve you," Modi told a class10 boy in Gandhinagar, when asked if he would return soon to address the students as the Prime Minister.

Modi was addressing the students in Gandhinagar on the occasion of Teacher's Day.

BJP's Bihar unit on August 17 passed a unanimous resolution urging the party's parliamentary board to announce Modi as its PM candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP has, however, not officially endorsed his candidature yet.