New Delhi: The BJP scored a goal against its own leader LK Advani by projecting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the future PM. The timing, in the middle of a campaign, is clearly humiliating for Advani.
But clearly those who are shouting for Modi feel it's worth it and that the BJP needs a leadership boost with the voter. The allies of saffron party are upset but Advani took it well.
"It only shows that in our party there is no dearth of people with ability and calibre of rising to that level. Here is a party that has systematically groomed its second generation, I feel proud when Modi is praised," said L K Advani, BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate.
But the Narendra Modi-after-Advani chorus in the BJP is making their allies nervous.
Their biggest ally, Nitish Kumar reacted on this issue. Nitish's discomfort with Modi isn't new. In a recent interview to NDTV he even said he didn't want Modi in Bihar.
So for the BJP, Modi has and will crisscross the country. Modi won Gujarat twice since 2002 post-Godhra riots but the anti-minority tag stays.
And the Supreme Court's order to investigate Modi for conspiracy during the Gujarat riots has only made the allies more nervous.
If he's interrogated during the campaign, how will the allies explain that to their supporters?
"We accept Advani as the leader, they have not thought of Modi and that's a hypothetical question and it's BJP's internal matter in which they don't want to comment," said Bijon Mahajan, Leader, AGP.
This has forced the BJP to tone down its Modi chant.
"It's the media which raises the issue. We are only happy about the fact that our leader is being praised," said Arun Jaitley, General Secretary, BJP.
The next three months are crucial for the BJP and Narendra Modi. If the SIT probe in the Gulbarga case points fingers at him, he is in trouble but an acquittal might help him become acceptable for the allies and help him be BJP's leader in waiting.