2014 Polls on BJP's Mind, Yeddyurappa Backs Modi as PM Candidate

Mumbai, May 25 (IANS): As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) patches up and reconciles with its leaders -- with an eye to the general elections -- former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Friday made a strong pitch for making Narendra Modi the party's prime ministerial candidate for 2014.

On a day when the BJP seems to have bridged most gaps and is scheduled to pass a political resolution against the "misrule" of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Yeddyurappa, who has just patched with the central leadership, came out in support of Modi, the party's star chief minister of Gujarat.

Yeddyurappa, who, according to sources, decided to come only after Modi landed here, also said that he would work for the party and blamed secretary general Ananth Kumar for causing misunderstanding between him and the party.

"The whole nation wants to see Modi as the prime minister, the party should portray him as its prime minister candidate for 2014," Yeddyurappa told reporters as he landed in Mumbai, reiterating what he had said in Bangalore Thursday evening.

Modi made the decision to attend the party meet after his rival Sanjay Joshi, who was backed by Gadkari, quit from the national panel of the party.

After a patch-up with party president Nitin Gadkari, Modi is now expected to share the stage with him Friday evening at a party rally.

The Gujarat chief minister has extended his schedule to attend the rally Friday evening, which is to feature all the BJP-ruled chief ministers and key leaders of the party.

According to sources, Yeddyurappa is also likely to be on the high podium at the rally here in evening.

Yeddyurappa, meanwhile, was seen extending all-out support to Gadkari, saying he was in Mumbai to "congratulate" Gadkari for his second term as the party president.

"He has stood with me like a stone in every situation, so I must go and meet him," Yeddyurappa said.

While stating that he did not want any post for himself and will work to make the party stronger in Karnataka, Yeddyurappa also targeted party leader Ananth Kumar for spreading "rumors" about him in Delhi.

"Ananth Kumar must stop what he is doing or the party leadership will take action," Yeddyurappa had said earlier in Bangalore, before leaving for Mumbai.

On a day when it seems to be bridging all gaps within the party, the BJP is expected to reiterate what its president Nitin Gadkari said on the first day - the party is the "solution" to "problems" created by the Congress-led UPA government.