Shekhawat’s fancy for LS seat jolts BJP

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Jaipur: Former Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday created flutters in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) when he said that he would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections if his health permits.

Shekhawat made his intention clear to meadiapersons who asked him whether this will be a move to enter the mainstream politics. ‘‘Service of public and not for politics,’’ the 86-year-old veteran from Rajasthan shot back.

But he did not clarify from which constituency he would contest and on whose ticket.

Shekhawat had recently told LK Advani (82) that he was in the ‘‘same age group’’. Advani replied that age had nothing to do with being active and cited the example of former

President R Venkataraman, who is in his late nineties, and was still active.

The party sought to play down reports that Shekhawat, also a former chief minister and one of the founders of BJP, could challenge Advani, who has been declared the party's prime ministerial candidate.

Asked about Shekhawat’s remarks, party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said he had been a senior leader of the party and ‘‘is still a well-wisher’’.

He said a leadership that strengthened the country, won confidence of the public and solved the problem of corruption and poverty, was the need of the hour.

Another party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said Advani is the prime ministerial candidate of BJP and this has the approval of NDA as well.

‘‘I cannot comment on what Shekhawatji has said as I have not heard his comments,’’ he said. Shekhawat, who contested unsuccessfully against Pratibha Patil in the Presidential election in 2007, said that during his visit to Kota yesterday he got good response from the people and if health permitted he would surely contest the polls with their support.

He said that he would launch a campaign against corruption but its framework is yet to be finalised.