Advani praises Narendra Modi while campaigning in Bihar

MOTIHARI/MUZAFFARPUR: BJP may not have fielded Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Bihar assembly poll campaign but its senior leader L K Advani today praised him while seeking votes saying minorties in Gujarat had the best of opportunities.

"The minorities enjoy the best opportunities in Gujarat and per capita income is high. People belonging to all sections of the society are happy a lot, though it is a different issue that the chief minister gets bad press all the time because of politics and people in Congress," he told an election meeting here.

Modi will not be campaigning in Bihar with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar having indicated his reservations.

In June, the chief minister had cancelled a dinner for the BJP top brass to convey his disapproval over an advertisement that had featured him with Modi on the aid provided by Gujarat to cope with the devastating floods that had hit Kosi region, two years ago.

Kumar had subsequently returned the Rs 5 crore lying unspent in the chief minister's relief account that was received from Gujarat for the floods. Because of the Bihar CM's reservations, Modi had also stayed away from campaigning in Bihar in the run-up to last year's Lok Sabha polls.

Advani described the Congress as the 'mother of all corruption' and claimed NDA-ruled states in the country had set an example of good governance.

"NDA-ruled states have proved to be role model for others," he said.

He also said he felt the absence of ailing senior colleague Atal Bihari Vajpayee and JD(U) George Fernandes.