BJP today described the anointment of Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as a "defining moment" for the party.
Hailing Modi's choice as a "good decision", senior party leaders felt the step will bring the party back to power in the next general elections.
"It is a winning decision and BJP will emerge victorious," senior party leader Arun Jaitley said after the announcement of Modi as the party's PM candidate was made.
"It is a good decision," said senior party leader Sushma Swaraj who was till yesterday was opposed to Modi's candidature.
Former party chief M Venkaiah Naidu sought to play down the absence of senior party leader L K Advani from the Parliamentary Board meeting, saying "there is no question of Advaniji being sidelined. He is the tallest leader of the party."
However, Naidu said he would have been happy with Advani's presence as he brought the party to the level where it is today.
"I would have been happy... Now that the decision has been taken (about Modi's anointment), we are a democratic party, in a party we take decisions after proper discussions, we had discussions at every level and a decision has been taken", he said.
However, Advani's close associate Sudheendhra Kulkarni though did not hide his displeasure over the decision on Modi saying, "history will show that it is a wrong choice and most probably it is not a very very useful choice".
