Narendra Modi to be picked for BJP's top panel

NEW DELHI: BJP chief ministers Narendra Modi and Shivraj Singh Chauhan are likely to get berths in the party's parliamentary board soon. Modi’s inclusion in the highest decision-making body of the party is part of an exercise to bring him to the centre-stage of national politics in the run-up to the 2014 general election.

The BJP is increasingly facing pressure from within to give Modi a bigger role and make him the party's mascot in the 2014 poll. With the chorus to make Modi the prime ministerial candidate gaining momentum, party leader Kalraj Mishra admitted that the Gujarat chief minister is “a top contender”.

“As far as I know, no Prime Ministerial candidate was finalised during the meeting with the RSS, but yes, Narendra Modi’s name was prominent,” he said. BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has openly advocated that Modi should be named the BJP’s PM candidate.

BJP leaders have been trying to duck questions on the “Modi for PM” clamour in the party by saying there are several chief ministers, including Modi and Chauhan, who are “praise-worthy for their work”.

Chauhan had come in for appreciation at the party's national council meeting in Suraj Kund last year. Chauhan faces election in Madhya Pradesh where he will be fighting for a third term this year. Modi has recently won a third consecutive election in Gujarat. The two chief ministers are expected to be included in the parliamentary board this month itself.

The BJP's national executive will be reconstituted before the national council meet and is expected to authorise party president Rajnath Singh to reconstitute the parliamentary board. Currently, there are two vacancies in the party’s parliamentary board: of Bal Apte and Jaswant Singh.

Meanwhile, ahead of the assembly polls in Rajasthan later this year, BJP brought back former chief minister Vasundhara Raje to head the party in the state. BJP President Rajnath Singh said party leader Gulab Chand Kataria will be the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly. He will take over from Raje who quit the post.