Modi meets Rajnath, discusses 2014 polls, ‘service to country’

Amid reports that he is seeking a larger national role within the party, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi called on newly-elected BJP president Rajnath Singh on Sunday. While the two leaders declined to divulge details of their closed door meeting which lasted for over two hours, they said they discussed the 2014 Lok Sabha elections among other issues.

Modi said he discussed how to be "useful in the service of the country" and the road "ahead" in the context of the 2014 elections. Sources said the two leaders also discussed the Assembly elections due this year.

"I had come to congratulate him and ask him what I should do, how I should work ahead, what suggestions he has in relation to the state government. I sought and got his guidance in that respect. BJP's Gujarat unit should be useful in the service of the country, we also had a detailed discussion about that," said Modi.

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

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

The meeting holds significance in the wake of the rising clamour within the BJP to project Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate. This, in fact, is going to be one of the major organisational issues that Rajnath will have to resolve ahead of the 2014 elections.

Earlier, leaders close to former party president Nitin Gadkari had indicated that he was not averse to appointing Modi as the chairman of the BJP's election campaign committee. However, Rajnath's elevation to the party chief's post has changed the internal power equations. Modi now faces a relatively more formidable leadership.

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