Modi meets Rajnath, Advani on by-poll result day

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in whose state the ruling BJP swept the by-polls whose results were announced Wednesday, met party chief Rajnath Singh and senior party leader L.K. Advani in the capital.

Modi, who was here to attend the chief minister's meet on internal security, met Rajnath Singh ahead of the party conclave in Goa starting Friday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a clean sweep in the assembly by-polls in Gujarat snatching four seats held by the Congress in Morva-Hadaf, Limbdi, Dhoraji and Jetpur.

It also snatched the Porbandar and Sabarkantha Lok Sabha seats from the Congress.

Modi, who has ruled the state since 2001, has not hidden his prime ministerial ambitions. He has massive backing from his supporters - within and outside the party - who want him named the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

Advani had recently rocked the Modi boat by comparing Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan with iconic former prime minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee.

Rajnath Singh had immediately clarified that Advani's comments had been "misinterpreted" - after the media reported that Advani had come out against Modi.