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Modi has great potential: Advani

“Modi has no ideology of his own; his ideology is that of the party and the RSS”
Says he invited almost all Congress leaders to the book release, but only Antony responded

New Delhi: Contending that the ideology of Narendra Modi was that of the party and not his own, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani showered praise on the Gujarat Chief Minister on Thursday, saying he had “great potential” which very few in the party have.

“We have many many potential leaders, but I have little doubt that a very few of the others have proved their ability in the matter of governance and development as Narendra Modi has already proved,” Mr. Advani told CNN-IBN. “So he [Mr. Modi] has great potential.”

To a question about Mr. Modi’s ideology, Mr. Advani said the Gujarat Chief Minister “does not have a personal ideology of his own. The ideology is that of the BJP or I can even say the RSS and that ideology is the one which many of us share, including myself.”

On whether Vajpayee will contest the next Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Advani said “I would be happy if that happens. But as I have seen him even today, this morning, that may be difficult.” Mr. Advani had driven to the residence of the ailing former Prime Minister to give him a copy of his book.

“We have never been rivals. I have always respected Vajpayee as my leader ever since I came in contact with him. And he also has always trusted me as a colleague,” he said.

Relations with Sonia

In a separate interview to Times Now, Mr. Advani regretted that there was no communication between him and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. “It is unfortunate. And I wish this thing changes. I don’t see anyone in the party who can contribute to such a change. And if that doesn’t change, my relations even with the Prime Minister becomes somewhat strained,” he said.

He said he had sent invitations to almost all Congress leaders, including Ms. Gandhi, to the function on Wednesday to release his book, but he got a reply from only Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

Asked whether he could have invited her over phone, Mr. Advani said “I could have... I could have… but if only I could know that there would be a response.”

You didn’t expect the response? he was asked. “It has been so obvious. It has been weakened throughout,” he replied.

Asked when he expected the next Lok Sabha elections to happen, Mr. Advani said “as things stand today, I think the possibility is 2009.”

Mishra refuses to react

The former National Security Advisor, Brajesh Mishra, refused to react on Thursday to Mr. Advani’s assertion that he differed with Mr. Vajpayee over his (Mr. Mishra) holding dual posts in the NDA government.

“I don’t want to react at all. It will die a natural death,” he said. Mr. Advani in his memoir ’My Country My Life’ said he and many senior ministers in the NDA government felt the posts held by Mr. Mishra as the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary and National Security Adviser should be bifurcated, but it was shot down by Mr. Vajpayee.

The Kargil Review Committee set up by the NDA government had recommended that there must be a full time NSA.

“Many senior Ministers in the government and I felt that there was much merit in this suggestion,” Mr. Advani, then Deputy Prime Minister, wrote in his book. — PTI

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