Narendra Modi has found support for the top position from unexpected quarters. Known for his harsh remarks often, senior lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani has described the senior BJP leader as being honest, secular and qualified.
Ram Jethmalani also said that the party should announce its candidate for the top position well in advance for the upcoming general elections in 2014. Jethmalani described Narendra Modi as the best bet to lead the party in tough times. He also hinted that those who want the party to wait for completion of elections before announcing the name for the top slot are helping Congress.
Strangely, Ram Jethmalani defended the Gujarat Chief Minister on his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Jethmalani hinted that Narendra Modi’s distracters within the party and also outside are tarnishing his image and the Chief Minister had no role in the riots.
Ram Jethmalani when asked about the party’s debacle in 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls did point that things were different at that time and despite Lal Krishan Advani’s name being projected, the party could not win the polls.
Ram Jethmalani alleged that the Congress leadership was never sincere on issues related to corruption and was not interested in disclosing names of those who have accounts in Swiss bank. The BJP leader also took note of the fact that Prime Minister was not keen on corruption issues as is evident from his silence on the 2G scam.
Ram Jethmalani’s utterance and his support for Narendra Modi can be gauged from the fact that the senior leader is feeling alienated in the party. The reason for the same is quite understandable. Ram Jethmalani often finds himself in troubled waters owing to his hard hitting statements, often on the functioning of the party.
Sensing that Narendra Modi has emerged as an amicable choice for the party’s candidature for the position of the Prime Minister candidate in the party, Jethmalani decided to join the bandwagon of leaders who have off late being started praising Narendra Modi . Interestingly, these leaders belong to the league of leaders who often criticised Narendra Modi for his role in the riots. However, the situation has changed drastically and even United States and U.K has allowed Narendra Modi entry into the country, a decade after the riots.
A shrewd lawyer and politician that he is, Ram Jethmalani has sensed the seriousness of the changing times and has decided to let his opinion known publically on what he thinks about Narendra Modi.
It would be interesting to see as to how does the party reacts to this new found love of Ram Jethmalani. The praise showered by Ram Jethmalani on Narendra Modi will act as a morale booster for the party as it is finding itself in a tight spot, given the resistance from some alliance partners on the name of Narendra Modi for the position of its candidate for the post of Prime Minister.
