Lalu Prasad says that AB Vajpayee is very much in the race for the BJP’s prime ministerial post
Lalu Prasad says that AB Vajpayee is very much in the race for the BJP’s prime ministerial post
NEW DELHI: Taking exception to BJP leader LK Advani’s attempt to “mollify” his senior party colleague Atal Bihari Vajpayee by recommending his name for ‘Bharat Ratna’, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Saturday said Advani had apparently made the move to buttress his prime ministerial ambitions.
“Advani is nursing prime ministerial ambitions, and he has made the proposal to pave the way to project himself as the sole BJP candidate” for seven Race Course road, the official residence of Prime Minister, Prasad told reporters on the sidelines of a railway function.
Prasad, however, said that Advani was only nurturing delusion as “Vajpayee has not retired from politics and he is very much in the race for the prime ministerial post”.
He said Advani had apparently made a deft political move by trying to ensure that the UPA government clears his proposal which, in turn, would make the latter the undisputed choice of the BJP for the prime ministerial office.
Earlier, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Advani proposed that Vajpayee be conferred upon the Bharat Ratna, in view of his long-running parliamentary record and services to the country. Dr Singh said it was too early to take a decision on it.
I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had earlier said the government would follow due procedure in the selection for civilian awards.
“After hastily managing to get himself declared as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Advani is now seeking to placate Vajpayee by seeking the country’s highest civilian award for him,” he added. Vajpayee is an elder leader and “we respect him.”
However, there was a set procedure for choosing the candidates for various honours, including the prestigious Bharat Ratna, and this would be followed while giving such awards, Dasmunsi said.
The Congress Party said Vajpayee is a respected leader but the award can also be
conferred upon veteran CPM leader Jyoti Basu and Hindi cine star Dilip Kumar.
The BJP has reacted saying the Congress is trying to politicise the issue and create an “unnecessary controversy”.
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