NDA's PM candidate should belong to BJP: JD-U

Janata Dal – United leader Shivanand Tiwari on Saturday dismissed speculations about the party’s differences with the Bharatiya Janata Party over the projection of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate.

Talking about the meeting held in JD-U chief Sharad Pawar’s residence, he said, "It was a routine meeting and had nothing to do with the 2014 Lok Sabha polls."

He further said, "We will also discuss the present scenario of the party. Members are going to put forward their views and opinions and it is a routine meeting."

Speaking on the BJP’s plan of action, he said, "Whatever BJP President Rajnath Singh has said is absolutely true. We share a long and old association with the BJP, hence they know our principles and our motive and there is nothing wrong in that.

Talking about the likely prime ministerial candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, he said, "Nitish Kumar has made it very clear and we stand by it that the prime ministerial candidate should be mentioned as early as possible.

He has also said the candidate “should be from the BJP as it is a big party."

Earlier, the JD-U's reported impatience with the BJP’s delay in taking a call on its choice for the post of PM is unlikely to force the hand of its NDA ally on this vexed issue.

Meanwhile, all eyes would be on the deliberations of the two-day National Executive of the JD-U which began on Saturday, as the party has taken a strong position against the projection of Modi as the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate.

The growing clamour in sections of the BJP in favour of Modi has not gone down well among some of the NDA constituents.