BJP must declare Narendra Modi as PM candidate, says Yashwant Sinha, irks JD(U)
ally does not support, it will be a wrong decision.
"JD(U) is the oldest ally of BJP... and it should remain in the alliance," he said.
However, he took exception to JD(U) targeting Modi, saying "to target one particular person is not fair. Either the entire party is secular or the entire party is communal.
Within the BJP, you cannot pick and choose. That is a flawed argument."
He went on to add that, "within a party, you cannot say XYZ is secular and ABC is communal and we will go with XYZ and not with ABC."
When asked about the possibility of JD(U) quitting the NDA if Modi is declared as PM candidate by BJP, Sinha said, "if any party goes, a number of parties will come.... JD(U) is absolutely free.
"It is another party, it is an ally. If they take a position, they should take it only after careful consideration."
Sinha said he was in favour of the JD-U remaining with the NDA, as he himself has been the architect of the alliance when he was President of the Bihar unit of the party. "Why should a person like me want to push them out," he said.
"If Narendra Modi is projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP and we go into the electoral battle under his leadership, then it will do a lot of good for the party and we will come back with far more seats than is being estimated at present."
The BJP leader said there have been some
