Advani unwell, I told him not to attend today's meet: BJP chief

Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh and the party's senior leader Narendra Modi dodged all questions about the latter's possible projection as BJP's prime ministerial candidate, after they arrived for the party's national executive meeting in Panaji on Friday.

Rajnath Singh, who arrived at the national executive meeting venue from Dabolim airport, waved at the fleet of journalists stationed at the venue, where he was received by party leaders including BJP Goa desk in-charge Smriti Irani. He told reporters at the airport that senior leader L K Advani would attend the meeting on Saturday, as he could not come today due to ill health. “Due to Advaniji's ill-health, I told him not to attend the meet today (Friday),” he said.  

The BJP president refused to answer questions about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the airport.

Modi too dodged questions about his likely candidature for the top post, while speaking to reporters at Dabolim airport. However, the Gujarat chief minister paid condolences to Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on the death of his mother. "My sympathies go out to the family of Chidambaram," he said.

The two-day long national executive will begin in Panaji on Saturday, while a meeting of party office bearers will be held on Friday.

Image: Rajnath Singh along with Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in Panaji | Photograph: Rajnath Singh ?@BJPRajnathSingh/Twitter