Truce between LK Advani and Narendra Modi mere drama: Congress

KANPUR: A day after senior BJP leader LK Advani heaped praise on Narendra Modi, Congress said the "rapprochement" between the two is just drama as there are still differences within the party over the Gujarat Chief Minister's anointment as party prime ministerial candidate.

"BJP is divided over the issue of prime ministerial candidate. Different statements in this regard are being made every other day...Advani never attends party meetings. This shows there is no consensus in the party leadership over Modi's candidacy," Congress leader Rajiv Shukla told reporters.

The Union Minister was responding to a query on Advani praising Modi after stubbornly resisting his anointment as BJP's prime ministerial candidate nominee.

"This rapprochement is just drama," he said. Advani yesterday praised Modi for development in Gujarat, saying he hoped that all good tasks undertaken by party governments in states will be rolled out across the country.

The BJP patriarch's public lauding of Modi came after he opposed announcement of his name as the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate before the assembly elections to five states later this year and stayed away from the decision by BJP Parliamentary Board last Friday.

Shukla, however, parried a question on Samajwadi Party-led Uttar Pradesh government being responsible for riots in Muzaffaranagar district.

"Let the situations in Muzaffarnagar be improved. Prime Minister himself visited the district yesterday. Whatever he had to say, he has said already. When he has spoken about the issue, there is no need for any party representative to speak about it now," he said.