Rajnath Singh evades questions on Narendra Modi's likely role

PANAJI: BJP president Rajnath Singh and the party's senior leader Narendra Modi dodged all questions about the latter's possible projection as BJP's prime ministerial candidate, after they arrived here for the party's national executive meeting today.

Rajnath Singh who arrived at the national executive meeting venue from Dabolim airport waved at the fleet of journalists stationed at the venue, where he was received by party leaders including BJP Goa desk in-charge Smriti Irani.

He told reporters at the airport that senior leader L K Advani would attend the meeting tomorrow as he could not come today due to ill health.

The BJP president refused to answer questions about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the airport.

Modi too dodged questions about his likely candidature for the top post, while speaking to reporters at Dabolim airport.

However, the Gujarat chief minister paid condolences to Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on the death of his mother.

"My sympathies go out to the family of Chidambaram," he said.

The two-day long national executive will begin here tomorrow, while a meeting of party office bearers will be held here today.