Narendra Modi to be named as BJP's PM candidate in July end

Speculations are rife that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will formally be anointed as BJP's prime ministerial candidate in July end .

If it happens than 2014 Lok Sabha elections will witness direct contest between the Modi and Congress scion Rahul Gandhi.

Modi's formal ananouncement  is much speculated ever since he was  elevated as party's 2014 poll campaign panel chief last month. And more so his opponents like Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar is also  not in the NDA .

Rahul Vs Modi in 2014

Meanwhile.any election or campaign related decisions is being directly taken by Rahul Gandhi . Rahul Gandhi   was elevated to " number two "position in the party by appointing  him as the Vice President of the AICC in Jaunary 2013 so that he can  strengthen the party and the hands of the Congress President.

Rahul Gandhi is trying hard to strengthen the base of the party by eliminating factionalism in order to avoid risks in the future.

Rahul at a meeting with Delhi leaders signalled  he wouldn’t be “blind” to such leaders. “I don’t mind if our government goes out of power but I won’t tolerate factional conspiracies. My main aim is to strengthen the Congress and that can be done by the sincerity and hard work of the ordinary workers. There cannot be any compromise on the organisation.”

Former international president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Ashok Singhal had  advised BJP patriarch L.K. Advani to give his blessings to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and behave like a guide to the party.

Emphasising that Modi should be projected as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for 2014 general election, Singhal said, "Advani should behave like a statesman."

"There is a generation gap in the BJP. It needs to be sorted out... Popular sentiment must be respected," he said advocating the case of Modi.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh  that influence the  crucial decisions of  BJP  had already conveyed its backing for Modi to senior BJP leaders LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.

Modi is likely to contest  the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi, a seat currently held by Murli Manohar Joshi, is seen by his supporters as a candidate capable of swaying voters in the urban and fast-urbanising pockets across the country.

Party leaders Maneka Gandhi, Shatrughan Sinha, C.P. Thakur and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi  rallied behind Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for naming him as the BJP nominee for the PM post.

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), which wields influence over BJP, is holding a week-long national 'Manthan Shibir'  in  Maharashtra to discuss the outline of the strategies to be adopted for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls

RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat and Vishwa Hindu Parishad general secretary Pravin Togdia guided the 'closed door' meeting of 'core committee', at the spacious Vyankatesh Lawns here, comprising nearly 175 national Sangh pracharaks and office-bearers, sources told .

RSS is expected to discuss the outline of the strategies to be adopted for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls at its core committee meeting today, sources said.

The RSS and VHP kept the media at a distance as they sat down to deliberate over the Sangh strategies and policies for the forthcoming polls. Local RSS functionaries were also kept away from the meeting, sources said.

 The same is expected to be put forth for consideration of BJP when party president Rajnath Singh arrives here tomorrow.

 BJP's poll campaign committee chief Narendra Modi is also likely to visit Amravati and guide the pracharaks during the shibir period. However, there was no confirmation on Modi's likelihood of attending the Shibir.

 RSS dignitaries like Suresh Soni, Datta Hosbade, Bhaiyyaji Joshi and VHP's Ashok Singhal are also expected to be at the venue in a day or two.