New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Putting an end to a growing controversy, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani Thursday said he has decided to contest from the Gandhinagar constituency, after he was mollified by party leaders, including Rajnath Singh and Narendra Modi, and told he was free to choose between the Gujarat seat and Bhopal.
The octogenarian leader had reportedly gone into a sulk after he was told to contest from Gandhinagar and not his choice Bhopal.
But a series of meetings with senior party leaders as well as a telephonic talk with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) brought the former deputy prime minister around and he agreed to go with Gandhinagar.
"I have decided to contest the 2014 general elections from Gandhinagar itself. I have conveyed my opinion to Rajnath Singh," the 86-year-old Advani said in a statement.
Advani said he was approached by Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Modi, who came to his residence "and emphasised that the people of Gujarat are keen that I represent Gandhinagar in the Lok Sabha once again".
He has won the seat five times.
Advani said he was informed by party chief Rajnath Singh that the Madhya Pradesh unit had also suggested his name for contesting from Bhopal.
He said he was informed that "the choice between the two parliamentary seats should be left to me".
Advani said he was "deeply touched by this gesture of my party colleagues", and also expressed gratitude to BJP members from Madhya Pradesh, including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, for proposing his name for the Bhopal seat.
The senior leader had expressed his displeasure ever since the party announced his name for Gandhinagar Wednesday as he was keen to fight from Bhopal.
Advani is known to be close to Shivraj Singh Chouhan and has publicly praised his governance over that of Modi.
Advani was believed not to be keen to fight from Gandhinagar as a result of his tense relationship with the Gujarat chief minister.
He has earlier made known his unhappiness at Modi being made the BJP campaign chief and also the prime ministerial candidate, though he came round later and expressed support for his former protege.
Advani had conveyed to Rajnath Singh that he should be allowed to choose his constituency as some other party leaders have been allowed to do, sources said.
In an indication of the party's attempt to mollify the senior leader, Rajnath Singh had announced in Chennai earlier in the day that Advani was free to choose between Bhopal and Gandhinagar and it has been conveyed to him.
Advani, who has been a prime ministerial aspirant, was approached by senior party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Modi separately in the morning.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is also believed to have spoken to him and urged him to go with the party parliamentary board's decision of Gandhinagar.
But seat choice troubles are not over for the BJP as another senior leader Jaswant Singh Thursday indicated he wanted to be given his constituency of choice.
Singh, 75, is reported to be keen to contest from Barmer in Rajasthan.
Though he has never represented Barmer in the Lok Sabha, sources said he has conveyed to the party that he wants to contest what is likely to be his last election from the constituency.
Singh has won Lok Sabha elections before from Chittorgarh in Rajasthan in 1991 and 1996 and from Darjeeling in West Bengal in 2009.
Pakistan: Hindu professor sentenced to life in Sindh for blasphemy
A court in Pakistan's Sindh province has sentenced a Hindu professor to life imprisonment and a fine for insulting the Prophet, but the accused's relatives have decided to challenge the decision in
Weather Update: Mercury will rise in these areas before Holi, IMD predicts rain and snowfall in hilly areas
The weather started changing before Holi. The heat wave is being witnessed in most of the states across the country. According to the Meteorological Department, the temperature will increase in most
Stranger Things 5 OTT Release: The release date of Stranger Things 5 has changed, now it will stream on OTT on this day.
If we talk about the best web series of Hollywood cinema, then the name of Stranger Things is included in it. This series has entertained the audience a lot over the last four seasons. For a long
America's reply to China on Kovid arrangements said- We are doing a scientific test for Chinese passengers
The United States said on Tuesday that the Covid test for travelers arriving from China is scientific and Beijing's rising coronavirus cases are due to a lack of transparency on the part of its
Weather Update Today: Heavy rain alert from Himachal to Chhattisgarh, How will the weather be in Delhi-NCR?
Weather Update Today: According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), active monsoon conditions are likely over North Peninsular India, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh during the next four days.
Traffic curbs in Delhi during Obama visit
New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) Traffic restrictions have been imposed in Delhi ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit, with roads leading to ITC Maurya Hotel shut down completely for the entire
The student who gave NEET narrated the horrifying experience: No dupatta, covered herself with hair; After the exam, the officials said - take bra in hand and leave
In Kerala's Kollam district, girls' innerwear was taken off in the name of screening ahead of the NEET exam at the Martoma Institute of Information Technology (MIIT) on July 17. The father of one of
Stampede at Congress Marathon in Bareilly: Several girls were crushed to death; Congress leader said - when this can happen in Vaishno Devi, then it is a rally
A stampede broke out in the Congress marathon in Bareilly on Tuesday morning. In this incident that happened at 10 in the morning, many girls were buried in the crowd. The organizers could not handle
Unemployed youths reached UP from Rajasthan to narrate pain to Priyanka Gandhi if CM Gehlot did not listen, hunger strike at Congress office in Lucknow
After shirtless agitation, offering roses to ministers, and going on hunger strike, unemployed youths of Rajasthan have started dharna outside the Congress office in Lucknow. These youths are
Afghanistan Earthquake Today: Earthquake tremors felt in Afghanistan, magnitude 4.3 on the Richter scale
Afghanistan Earthquake Today: Earthquake tremors have been felt in Afghanistan. Today i.e. on the morning of February 13, at 6.47 am, the intensity of the earthquake was 4.3. The matter of relief is
