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‘BJP now party of one-man leadership, won’t return’

Targeting Narendra Modi, expelled leader Jaswant Singh on Friday said BJP has become a party of ‘one-man leadership’ or by ‘small coterie’ chosen by one personality.

The former external affairs minister, who had been earlier expelled from the party in August 2009 for praising Pakistan founder MA Jinnah and returned almost a year later, ruled out taking any such step again. He, however, said he could support NDA on issues of ‘greater national good’.

‘BJP has not had, even in times of Vajpayee, a single man (leadership). Currently there is either one-man leadership or it is confined in a small coterie chosen by one personality. That is a choice which the BJP has made for itself,’ he said an interaction at the Press Club here.

Singh had desired to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Barmer in Rajasthan but the party denied him a ticket. He then entered the fray as an Independent, an action for which he was expelled from the party last month.

He dismissed reports of ‘Modi-wave’ and said, ‘I have not been to other parts of the country, there is loo (hot and dry wind that blows over Northern India) in Barmer-Jaisalmer.’ 

Asked whether he would again join BJP, he said he had been expelled twice by the party and would stay ‘independent’.

However, he kept his options open on ‘supporting’ NDA, Congress or any Third Front, saying he would back anybody on the basis of issues of ‘greater national good’.

‘I didn’t say I will not support, I said I will not join the NDA. My supporting (the NDA) will depend entirely on issues involved...and the questions posed in Parliament.

‘There will be occasions when I will support the NDA on issues certainly...there might arise an occasion...and if there is a Third Front which comes up or the Congress party and I find...greater national good, I will certainly support them,’ Singh in response to a question.

He attacked the BJP president Rajnath Singh and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje for choosing ‘Congressman’ Col Sonaram over him in Barmer.

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