PM debate roiling BJP now,Cong calls Advani Modi’s mask

The Congress lost no time in sending out a fresh taunt. At a press briefing in Delhi,AICC spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the question now arose as to whether Advani had been shown the door by his own party with Modi being projected as the next prime ministerial candidate. “Is Advani a convenient mask for Modi? The mask is needed as Modi might not have acceptability in the NDA,” he said. “Is this a helpless and a scared leader who has to depend on the crutches of Modi?”

In Mumbai,Naidu reiterated the charges made by the BJP against Manmohan Singh and stated that he was a weak Prime Minister. He also criticised the Congress for its “inability” and “lack of intent” in running a coalition and pointed to the statements made by Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi regarding the regional parties.

Naidu alleged it was the wrong policies of the Congress which had led to neglect of the states,and encouraged the growth of regional formations. However,he described the Third Front as a “parking lot” and the RJD-LJP-SP Fourth Front as a “second parking lot” formed due to “congestion” in the first one. Naidu also denied that a situation could arise wherein the BJP would support the Third Front for power at the Centre.

On Sonia’s charges that the BJP was being “remote controlled” by the RSS,he said: “We are proud of our association with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh.”