By IANS
New Delhi : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is likely to be anointed “lifetime chairman” of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
A meeting of NDA leaders to be held Tuesday to endorse Advani’s prime ministerial candidature is also likely to name Vajpayee as “lifetime chairman” of the multi-party alliance.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters Monday: “As long as there is Vajpayeeji, there is no question of anyone else chairing the NDA.”
In reply to another question, he said: “The BJP being the largest party in the alliance has to make all the decisions in consultation with other NDA partners.”
According to BJP sources, the party was very keen to project Vajpayee as the NDA chairman.
“Vajpayee has very wide popularity and acceptability throughout the country. Therefore there is no question of dumping him,” said a BJP leader.
Tuesday’s will be the first meeting of NDA leaders after the BJP Parliamentary Board decision Dec 10 to announce Advani as the prime ministerial candidate.