'Sushil Modi to be BJP's face in Bihar assembly polls'

Former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi will be the face of the BJP in Bihar in the state assembly polls in 2015, said senior party leader and central Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh Saturday ending days of speculation.

"The BJP will fight the next state assembly polls under the leadership of Sushil Kumar Modi, who is a popular face and acceptable to all," Singh, who is the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Motihari, told mediapersons here.

Without saying that Modi would be declared the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP in Bihar, Singh said that he is the best available leader for the top post.

"Sushil Kumar Modi is BJP leader in Bihar, it is a well known fact," Singh said.

Five days after the RJD, the JD-U and the Congress alliance stunned the BJP by winning six of the 10 assembly seats in by-polls in the state, in-fighting in the party is likely to come out in the open following Singh's bid to back Modi as leader of the party in Bihar.

A strong section of BJP leaders, particularly those belonging to the powerful upper caste Bhumihars, is not happy with Modi and blames him for sidelining them in the party.

These leaders are likely to raise their voice against Modi by blaming him for the party's poor showing in the assembly by-polls.

Last month several BJP leaders had staked claim to be the chief ministerial candidate in the 2015 assembly polls.

Leader of opposition Nand Kishore Yadav had said that only the BJP parliamentary board would decide who will be the leader of the legislative party.