Nitin Gadkari bats for Narendra Modi as PM candidate and party chief

Ruling out himself as his party's prime ministerial candidate, BJP president Nitin Gadkari today favoured Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the top job and promised to back his candidature as party chief.

"I will never be a candidate for PM nor will I topple anybody. Modi has good potential to be BJP president and PM," Gadkari told Headlines Today.

Gadkari, whose term as BJP president comes to an end in December, said he is not interested in extension of his tenure. "I am ready to work as an ordinary party worker. I will support Narendra Modi to take over the mantle."

Dodging questions on who will be party's likely choice for the PM's post, Gadkari said, "BJP is not a proprietary party and we will decide PM's candidate at the appropriate time."

Asked whether BJP should now launch Narendra Modi on the national stage, Gadkari said, Narendra Modi has very good potential to be both BJP President and PM.

The BJP chief stoutly defended fielding Uma Bharti in UP's electoral battlefield and discounted dissensions within the party's state leadership over the import of the firebrand leader into the state.

"Uma Bharti is a national and respectable party leader and has been at the forefront of many projects in the state including the Ram Janambhhopmi movement. If Sonia Gandhi from Italy can contest polls in Amethi, what's the problem with Uma?," he asked.