New Delhi: BJP president Rajnath Singh today passed a virtual gag order on state units not to pass any resolution demanding that Narendra Modi be declared the Prime Ministerial candidate and announced that a decision on the issue will be taken after consulting all top leaders.
Singh passed the strictures at a meeting of the Modi-headed BJP Election Campaign Committee, state unit presidents and organisation general secretaries here.
Modi was present in the meeting.
The BJP Chief's comments have come against the backdrop of a resolution passed by the party's Bihar unit yesterday that Modi be declared the Prime Ministerial candidate by the Central Parliamentary Board without delay.
He also reprimanded the Bihar unit office bearers, including leader of opposition in the Vidhan Parishad Sushil Modi, for passing the resolution. Singh said he is aware of his responsibilities and knows what decisions he needs to take and when to take them, party sources said.
Other state units were specifically asked by the BJP president not to pass such resolutions.
Party sources claimed Singh said in the BJP conclave that a decision in this regard will be taken by him after consulting all senior leaders.
The standard official line of the BJP has been that the decision on whether to declare a PM candidate, or whether it should be done before the Lok Sabha elections, as well as who should be the candidate, will be taken by the Central Parliamentary Board at the appropriate time.
Though there is an overwhelming demanding across the party cadre in favour of declaring Modi the PM candidate, some leaders are reportedly opposed to the idea.
BJP Parliamentary Party Chief L K Advani and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, among others, are said to be against declaring Modi's name.
While most party leaders feel Advani and Swaraj are opposed to Modi as they fancy their own chances of becoming PM, their argument- according to party sources- is that due to his 'Hindutva' hardliner image he will scare away prospective allies.
JD(U), which was a part of the NDA for 17 years, quit the alliance when Modi was made BJP's Election Campaign Committee chief. Shiv Sena is also opposed to Modi- mainly due to his proximity with MNS Chief Raj Thackeray - and has said Swaraj would be a better candidate.
Advani had earlier resigned from all party posts in protest against Modi's elevation as Election Campaign Committee Chief and took it back only after RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat intervened.
Singh is reportedly making all efforts to build a consensus on Modi's candidature.
