New Delhi:
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi may be under attack after a string of controversial statements, but dissent within his own Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be dying.
BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, known to be one of Mr Modi's strong critics within the party, today told NDTV: "Modi is the most popular leader not just in the BJP but in the country. He is an asset, the more our opponents attack Modi, the more it will help us."
Mr Sinha, along with LK Advani, was among the leaders who had recently skipped the BJP's leadership conclave in Goa , where the party had anointed Narendra Modi as the chief of their campaign panel for the 2014 national polls.
Asked about his no-show, which was seen as a sign of his continued objection to Mr Modi, Mr Sinha said: "I didn't come to the Goa conclave due to some reasons, but the reason was not Modi. I could have pretended I was not well."
Mr Sinha heaped praise on Mr Modi, seeking to clarify after his column published this morning raised speculation that he was criticizing the Gujarat chief minister for steering the discourse away from real issues.
"Modi is proving to be a big asset and under his leadership, the BJP will do well," he said.
Mr Sinha had written in his article that there was a need for caution in the BJP; the focus should remain on the real issue of corruption.
Today, he clarified: "I am not advising Modi on what he should say. Every time Modi speaks, rivals pick points to change the discourse. We must focus on real issues, and if you look at Modi, he has raised all these issues."
Mr Sinha's show of support comes days after Mr Advani and Mr Modi sat together at a top BJP meet to sign off on the party's agenda for the upcoming Parliament session and elections - a sign that the party stood united and the divide over Modi was all in the past.