BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi not people's choice: Gurudas Dasgupta

Commenting on the anointment of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta on Sunday said that the elevation of Modi by the saffron outfit is the choice of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and BJP and not of the people of this country.

“Narendra Modi is choice of RSS, BJP and not of people. It is the people of this nation who will decide whether to vote for a criminal or not,” he said.

Congress leader Rashid Alvi said that BJP was compelled to accept RSS’s decision to appoint Modi as their party’s Prime Ministerial candidate.

“BJP is compelled to accept RSS's decision. Previously Advani was PM candidate in waiting for 10 years and now Modi will be the next PM candidate in waiting for another 10 years,” he said.

BJP on Friday announced Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections.

"We have projected Narendra Modi as our PM candidate," BJP President Rajnath Singh told media here after the parliamentary board meeting.

Modi thanked his party's central leadership for giving him such an important responsibility, and expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge victorious in the next general elections.

Modi assured his party workers and supporters that he would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the BJP emerges victorious in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani was not present in the parliamentary board meeting.

Several attempts had earlier been made by senior leaders to convince Advani, who had resigned from all party posts when Modi was appointed the election campaign committee chief in Goa earlier this year.

The BJP President even met the stalwart at the latter's residence here on Wednesday, but failed to convince him.