There is no rift in BJP, says Rajnath Singh

BJP chief was referring to speculations that LK Advani was undermining Narendra Modi's achievements as a chief minister

BJP president Rajnath Singh today denied any rift within the party as L K Advani's remarks comparing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan sparked a controversy.

"Everything is ok (in the party)," Rajnath told reporters here to a question.

At a rally in Gwalior on Saturday, Advani had said Chouhan has brought about considerable progress in a sick state, while Modi improved a state that was already marching on path of development.

He had said Gujarat was already "healthy" and Modi transformed it into an "excellent" state, but what Chouhan and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh did was to successfully turn around 'BIMARU (sick)' states into developed ones.

"You (Modi) have made it (Gujarat) excellent and you deserve congratulations for that but what Chouhan and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister did was wonderful," Advani had said.

Both BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are now reckoned as models of development even outside India, he had claimed.