BJP Parliamentary Board would take final call on Modi: Smriti Irani

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice President Smriti Irani on Friday said that the Parliamentary Board of the party would take a final decision on whether Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would head the party's poll panel.

"Well, we all know what the Goa Chief Minister wants, we all know what the nation wants and what the workers want. But let me humbly remind you as the office bearer of Bharatiya Janata Party that ultimately our national president Rajnathji has said that we all have to wait and see what the parliamentary board wants," said Irani.

BJP spokesperson Vijay Sonkar Shastri on his part hailed the Gujarat Chief Minister's governance, and said that Modi was the most preferred leader of their party.

"Our national president has also said that Narendra Modi is the favourite leader of Bharatiya Janata Party. There is no doubt," said Shastri.

Ahead of the BJP national executive meet, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar came out strongly in support of Modi, and said that the latter should lead the BJP's election campaign.

Modi's role in the next Lok Sabha polls is also expected to be the dominant theme of the BJP National Executive meet. There has been a strong demand from some sections of the BJP for declaring Modi as head of the campaign committee .

According to reports, some senior BJP leaders, including Lal Krishna Advani, are opposed to Modi being projected as the party's foremost leader.