Advani falls in line, praises Modi at Chhattisgarh rally

After opposing Narendra Modi’s anointment as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, a mellowed L K Advani on Monday praised him for development in Gujarat and hoped that all good tasks undertaken by BJP governments in states will be rolled out across the country.

‘Today, if Modi has been entrusted with the responsibility of the country by my party BJP, then all the good tasks undertaken by our governments in various states would be carried out all over the country,’ said Advani after his first public speech at a rally in Korba, Chhattisgarh.

Advani, who had previously gone into a public sulk after the BJP’s central parliamentary board nominated Modi as the party’s PM candidate, said, ‘Gujarat is the first state in the country where electricity is available in all villages 24 hours a day and the credit for that goes to Narendra Modi.’

The BJP patriarch’s public lauding of Modi comes after he opposed announcement of the Gujarat CM’s name as the BJP PM candidate before the assembly elections to five states later this year and stayed away from the decision by the BJP parliamentary board last Friday.

While speaking of Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the same breath, he praised the Gujarat CM for being the first to provide electricity to all the villages in his state, a task which has now also been accomplished by Chouhan.

Advani said, ‘Shivraj Singh Chouhan took a pledge to provide electricity to every village in [his] state, he first provided electricity together in three districts. He has now completed this task. but if someone who did this task first of all, it was my colleague Narendra Modi.’

He also appreciated Raman Singh’s efforts towards making Chhattisgarh a power surplus state. ‘Raman Singh always thinks for his people and the youth. I thank him and his cabinet colleagues for making Chhattisgarh a power surplus state,’ said Advani.