Advani best PM candidate: Shatrughan Sinha

NEW DELHI: BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha yet again said senior leader L K Advani will be the best choice as party's prime ministerial candidate suggesting Narendra Modi's appointment as campaign committee chief has diverted attention from burning issues of Congress' scams and price rise.

In a veiled dig at party President Rajnath Singh's oft-repeated statement that Modi was the most popular leader in the country, the MP from Patnasaheb constituency, said if popularity was the yardstick, then Amitabh Bachchan should become the President of India.

"He (Advani) may not be a contender. But my personal view is that Advani is the best (for prime minister's candidate) suited from all aspects, including seniority.

"His contribution to the party is immense. He made it a party of two MPs to close to 200 MPs. His performance was very good. There is nobody better than him in the party. He is the best of all," Sinha told Aaj Tak.

His remarks, apparently sniping at Modi for the third time in a fortnight and seen to be out of line with BJP's stance, could fetch him a show cause notice from the party.

Last week, he met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and praised him saying he was prime minister material.

Sinha felt that projecting Modi has the potential to divert attention from the raging issues of UPA government's scams and price rise.

He acknowledged that Modi was good and competent administrator and very popular. His track record in running the government was very good.

"There are no two opinions about this. He is capable like Shivraj Singh Chauhan," he said referring to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister.

"But popularity alone cannot be the criterion. If that is the criterion, then the most popular person in the country today is Amitabh Bachchan. It is our wish that he becomes the President.

"How this popularity can be made good. It can be only through people's voice but through proper platform and channel," he said.