BJP must be in fantasy land in projecting Modi as India's next PM: Rajeev Shukla

Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said that his party is confident and prepared to fight the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, irrespective of who the opposition's Prime Ministerial candidate would be.

Earlier today, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told media persons in Rajgarh "I am saying with full confidence that Narendra Modi will be the country's next Prime Minister."

Commenting on the BJP's statement, Shukla said: "Everybody has the right to live in their fantasy land, so let them. Let the elections come around, let the people vote, only then it will come to a stage of deciding who the next Prime Minister of the country is."

" I have said before and I will say it again-The Congress party is ready to combat and fight the elections, whoever the opposition brings as their candidate," Shukla added.

According to certain media reports, Modi could be appointed as the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate as early as September.

The BJP, which has appointed Modi as the party's campaign committee chief for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, wants to cash in on his popularity in the assembly elections in four big states at the end of this year.

BJP President Rajnath Singh is expected to meet senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders, including Mohan Bhagwat to finalise the party's blueprint for the elections.

Bhagwat has held a series of meetings in the last few weeks with various BJP leaders, including Lal Krishna Advani.

Advani, who had resigned from all party posts after Modi was appointed the chief of BJP's poll panel for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, was forced to do a U-turn after Bhagwat stepped in, and withdrew his resignation on June 11.

The BJP last month announced an 11-member campaign committee headed by Modi and 20 campaign panels to deal with manifesto drafting, vision document, new voters and media management among others.

BJP leader Ananth Kumar, who announced the list of 20 campaign committees, said they will be steered under Modi's leadership.

Kumar said senior BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani and party chief Rajnath Singh will oversee the functioning of central poll panel, which is headed by Modi.