Daijiworld Media Network
Ahmedabad, Nov 6: Senior BJP leader and former deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's much talked about Jan Chetna Yatra on Sunday November 6 entered Gujarat, the state where he had been denied permission to flag off the yatra.
Chief minister Narendra Modi, setting at rest speculations of rift between him and Advani, welcomed the veteran party leader in Vapi. The two shared the stage but did not sit together.
Advani in his address slammed Congress at the joint rally and praised Modi for his governance and for the all-round development of Gujarat.
As per sources, Modi is in race for the prime ministerial post along with Advani. Apparently, Modi feared Advani grabbing the limelight again and gaining popularity country wide.
Advani announced his Jan Chetna Yatra immediately after the hugely-successful Sadhbhavana mission by the Gujarat CM in September, following the Supreme Court order to transfer Modi's 2002 Gujarat riots case to a lower court.
Modi went on an image makeover mission, trying to project himself as the peacemaker of Gujarat. The immense support boosted his appeal as a mass leader and a possible candidate for the next PM post.
When the perceived rival and competetor came up with the anti-corruption yatra, an anxious Modi flayed it and denied it permission to be flagged off from Gujarat. However, Modi could not afford to cross swords with his mentor for long, especially with rivals within the BJP.
Now, with the white flag waving between the two, nominees for the PM post would be a difficult choice for BJP, unlike the UPA.