NDA will win 2014 polls 100% if it contests under Narendra Modi's leadership: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would win the 2014 general elections if they contest it under the leadership of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“Yes, we will win 100 per cent if we fight under Narendra Modi. Yesterday, Uddhavji (Uddhav Thackeray) talked to Modiji, and congratulated him as well. We will welcome it if Modi is declared the PM candidate,” Raut said.

Meanwhile, all eyes are set on BJP parliamentary board meeting on Friday, where party leaders will try to evolve a consensus within the party over declaring Modi as their prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections.

Following consultations with top leaders here on Thursday, party President Rajnath Singh decided to convene a meeting of the parliamentary board this evening.

Singh said a decision on the party’s prime ministerial candidate will be taken after discussions and consultations.

“We will decide after the talks are held,” he told media here, when asked as to when the BJP would come out with the name of its prime ministerial candidate.

The BJP chief is making sincere efforts to bring all senior leaders on board for officially naming Modi as the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

Party stalwart LK Advani is appearing to be a stumbling block for the saffron outfit in finalising the name of Modi as its prime ministerial candidate.

Several attempts have 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.

According to certain media reports, Advani has reportedly told Rajnath Singh that fronting Modi as the party's candidate for Prime Minister will be a ‘disaster’ and will ‘destroy the BJP’s prospects’ in the general elections next year.

Other than Advani, senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi are also opposed to announcing Modi as the prime ministerial candidate before the forthcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the BJP’s ideological mentor, is of the view that any delay in announcing Modi’s candidature will not do any good to the party’s prospects in the general elections.