Modi calls on Rajnath, discusses 2014 polls, ‘service to country’, road ahead

Amid the rising clamour in the BJP to project Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate, the Gujarat Chief Minister called on newly-elected BJP president Rajnath Singh here on Sunday. While the two leaders did not divulge details of their closed-door meeting, both said they also discussed the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Modi, who has been seeking a larger national role within the party, said he discussed how to be "useful in the service of the country" and the road ahead. The two leaders were closeted for over two hours.

"I came to congratulate him and ask him what I should do, how I should work ahead... BJP's Gujarat unit should be useful in the service of the country, we also had a detailed discussion about that," he said.

"We also discussed the 2014 Lok Sabha elections," said Rajnath.

"There was a discussion on 2014. It was quite an elaborate discussion," said Modi. "Had a fruitful meeting with Rajnath Singh. Discussed how BJP can serve the nation further," he later tweeted.

While former party president Nitin Gadkari was reported to favour the idea of appointing Modi as the chairman of the BJP's election campaign committee, Rajnath's election to the post has changed the power equations.

Rajnath, on his part, has always acknowledged that Modi is an "extremely popular" leader but has avoided declaring him as the party's prime ministerial candidate.

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