Ayodhya:
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi may meet BJP veteran LK Advani today in Delhi, and is expected to visit Ayodhya later this week to pray at the disputed religious site, said sources.
Mr Modi is in Delhi and met BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi this morning.
Earlier this month, Mr Advani resigned from party posts in protest against the BJP's decision to place Mr Modi in charge of its campaign for the national election. The BJP persuaded him to change his mind, but did not offer any compromise on Mr Modi's growing stature.
Mr Modi's visit to Ayodhya comes after a carefully-constructed make-over by the chief minister to ensure he is defined by the economic development of his state, rather than a right-wing hardliner.
This will be his first visit to Ayodhya after the sixteenth century Babri Masjid was torn down in 1992 by thousands of karsevaks or party workers who alleged that the mosque was built on the birthplace of Lord Ram.
Sources say that Mr Modi had visited Ayodhya in 1998 with Mr Advani, but did not visit the site where the mosque once stood.
The BJP has already said that the building of the Ram Mandir or temple at Ayodhya will be a part of their electoral campaign.
"Modi's move towards Ayodhya is also an indication that the Hindutva forces are seriously considering him as the PM candidate for General Election," Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sharad Sharma said, according to the Press Trust of India.