'BJP has only given PM candidates'

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari Sunday hit out at the BJP for attacking the Congress for not declaring a prime ministerial candidate and said the opposition party was frustrated as it had given "only prime ministerial candidates".

Tewari targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for their remarks about the Congress not declaring prime ministerial candidate at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting Friday.

"The frustration of the BJP is exemplified by the fact that while the BJP has only given PM candidates to the country (in the past two general elections), the Congress and the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) have given prime minister," Tewari told IANS over phone from Ludhiana.

He said in the past 10 years, the country "has transformed itself" under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who leads the UPA government.

"And in 2014, with blessings of the people, the Congress and the UPA would give the country a prime minister again," he said.

Modi, speaking at the BJP national council meeting at Ramlila Maidan, Sunday said the Congress did not dare to name a prime ministerial candidate because the party would be defeated in the electoral battle.