L K Advani says that the former prime minister may not project him as the prime ministerial candidate during the next polls.
NEW DELHI: Lal Krishna Advani may have, at present, opted to become a "consultant" to the BJP, but he does not think its sunset time yet for him. He can still take over the driver's seat if the "party and the people" want him to. He would also not be averse to being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the main Opposition party in the next round of general elections.
In an interview to a private news channel, Advani said: "According to the British tradition, the Leader of the Opposition is supposed to be the Prime Minister-in-waiting. But whether a person becomes a Prime Minister or not depends mainly on the people. That is a question for the party and the people to decide."
To a specific query that since Rajnath Singh would be the party president in 2009, during the next parliamentary elections, was not it natural for him to be the prime ministerial candidate of the Opposition, Advani said that he as the BJP president had proposed Atal Bihari Vajpayee's name for the prime ministerial candidate. "While I had given his name for prime ministership in the first place, I don't expect him to return that favour to me," Advani said.
Advani said despite being the Leader of Opposition, he was more of a consultant to the party now. "Earlier, as the Leader of Opposition, I also took great interest in organisational matters. I have stopped that now. I am more of a consultant now," he said. Referring to the controversy regarding his Pakistan visit, Advani said, "My trip helped people get rid of the perception that the BJP is anti-Islam. It was wrong perception."
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