'Brand Modi' still not acceptable in BJP': Jagdambika Pal

Congress leader Jagdambika Pal on Tuesday launched a frontal attack on Narendra Modi after actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha openly backed BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani, saying it shows that the Gujarat Chief Minister is still not accepted as a Prime Ministerial candidate in the saffron outfit.

"Shatrughan Sinha is a senior leader of the BJP. He was a Central Minister when the BJP had its government. His comments reflect that there are several senior BJP leaders who want to see Lal Krishna Advani as their Prime Ministerial candidate and not Narendra Modi," he said.

Shatrughan Sinha, who has been left out of all the panels for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls headed by Modi, earlier in the day demanded that Advani should be at the helm of affairs for he is the 'godfather' of the outfit.

"As far as seniors are being overlooked, this is what you all are saying. If senior leaders are being ignored in the party then I believe that this should be rectified," Sinha told mediapersons in Patna.

"People who are aspiring to be PM should come forward and accept senior leaders," he added, while asserting that all leaders should be on board.

Sinha said the role of senior party leaders, including Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, should not be overlooked.

Sinha further said Modi might have emerged quite popular, especially after his emphatic win in Gujarat, but Advani was not only the senior most and biggest leader of the party but of the country and he should not be ignored.

The BJP last week announced an 11-member campaign committee 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.