What was a matter of speculation is now official. >Narendra Modi, poster boy of Hindutva forces , is the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 election. The party has overruled its tallest leader’s objections on the timing of the announcement. From now on, the RSS will openly set the aggressive Hindutva agenda with Mr. Modi only too willing to obey the aadesh, and polarise the nation on religious lines for electoral gains.
S.K. Choudhury,
Bangalore
New water replacing old water is the rule of nature and the same applies to an organisation. It is the responsibility of seniors to encourage and guide youngsters to ensure that the organisation survives forever. L.K. Advani should honour his party’s mood and support Mr. Modi.
Bhanamma Aravinda Bai,
Hyderabad
Mr. Advani’s opposition to his own protégé does not speak well of the senior statesman. People and the BJP want a young, bold and dynamic person at the helm. Mr. Advani built the party from scratch and should not be seen as the destroyer of his own legacy. He should make way for younger leadership.
Bikash Choudhury,
Bhubaneswar
I don’t understand the BJP’s haste in naming Mr. Modi as its prime ministerial candidate. In fact, the party has played into the hands of the Opposition by announcing his name. The move can backfire.
C.M. Umanath,
Kozhikode
The cacophony over immediately anointing Mr. Modi doesn’t appear to have been spontaneous; it was a well planned and orchestrated move by the pro-Modi group to scuttle any possible challenge to him. The treatment meted out to Mr. Advani and the pressure on other senior leaders to toe the line of the Modi supporters do not auger well for the party. Mr. Advani did not ask the party to declare him the prime ministerial candidate. He only advised his party not to be in a hurry to declare Mr. Modi the candidate till the conclusion of the Assembly elections. The senior leader knows that Mr. Modi can act as a polarising force which will be detrimental to the party's prospects.
K.V. Ravindran,
Payyanur
By reposing faith in a deeply polarising figure like Mr. Modi, the BJP has done incalculable harm to secularism. The party will pay a heavy price for ignoring senior leaders who have worked for its development. Mr. Modi’s coronation will give the UPA the much-needed ammunition.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,
Srirangam
