Advani will not be BJP leader in 2014 polls: Naidu

NEW DELHI: Former BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu has said the party will not contest the next Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of L K Advani and agreed that it would be logical for the party to get a new leadership at that juncture.

"Advani is not going to contest the next elections. We are not going to fight the next elections under his leadership. Next general elections are going to happen when... you know (2014)," Naidu told Karan Thapar's Devil Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.

He was replying to a question on whether BJP would contest the next general elections under Advani's leadership, who would be 87 years old in 2014.

He agreed it sounded logical that in such a scenario BJP would need a new leader and for this the change of guard would have to take place couple of years before the polls.

Asked who would be the next leader, Naidu said, "Political parties discuss issues and then come to conclusions according to the need of the hour and by consensus".

The Rajya Sabha MP said Advani had been chosen as the Leader of Opposition by BJP for the 15th Lok Sabha and it was for him to decide when to step down.

"Whenever he (Advani) wants to make way for others, it is his choice.Nobody has given him any deadline....," Naidu said.