Being crowd-puller not enough to be PM: Uma Bharti

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti Wednesday said a leader cannot be a prime ministerial candidate just because "he is a crowd puller".

"Just because a leader is a crowd puller, it does not mean he can be the prime ministerial candidate," Uma Bharti told Times Now TV news channel.

"It is a good thing that there are leaders in the party who attract crowds... Even I attract crowds. Why is the crowd attracted towards me? I am not the prime ministerial candidate. Varun Gandhi also attracts crowd, and he is not a prime ministerial candidate."

The BJP leader said this while responding to a question on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's popularity as the party's prime ministerial candidate.

She added that after Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, all party leaders had the same stature.

"I see Atal ji and Advani ji as the great leaders who have built the party. After them all leaders are equal," she said.

She also added that the country was going through a bad time.

"This is the worst time for the country. I see no mechanism at all. Things are happening on their own. The country needs us," she said.