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Bhopal or Gandhinagar? Modi, Sushma rush to placate sulking Advani

Want freedom to choose own seat like you all, Advani tells leaders

New Delhi: BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has met senior BJP leader L K Advani, who is sulking over being fielded from Gandhinagar in the Lok Sabha elections rather than his preferred Bhopal.

Modi was at Advani's reside for half-an-hour apparently to persuade him to contest from Gandhinagar, which he has represented for five times in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP's parliamentary board and the central election committee, the two top decision-making bodies of the party had on Wednesday decided to field Advani from Gandhinagar and not from Bhopal as desired by him.

Though it is not clear what transpired at the meeting, sources said Advani is adamant on contesting from Bhopal. Advani has strictly said that he should be given the freedom to select his own seat just as other party leaders like Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Modi.

The 86-year old party patriarch has also conveyed his displeasure to party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari, who met him last night. The two leaders then took his wishes to Rajnath Singh.

Last night, Modi met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, apparently to seek his intervention in the issue.

Advani has represented Gandhinagar in the 10th Lok Sabha (1991-96), 12th Lok Sabha (1998-99), 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004), 14th Lok Sabha (2004-09) and the current 15th Lok Sabha (2009-14).

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj also met Advani at his residence in the morning to placate him.

( Source : PTI )
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