Congress downplays Narendra Modi's elevation in BJP

The Congress on Monday downplayed the elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was inducted into Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary Boardon Sunday, saying it was the party's internal matter.

"We don't know whether it is an elevation, promotion, demotion, deviation or dilution. We have no idea. We have no opinion. We are not concerned. It is their internal matter and good luck (to them)," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary told reporters at the All India Congress Committee briefing.

To a question on whether the BJP was trying to cash in on the Gandhi surname by elevating Varun Gandhi and making him the general secretary of the party, Chowdhury said, "I don't know what the BJP tries to encash. There is very little left for them to encash."

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said that unlike the BJP, Congress refrains from commenting on internal affairs of other parties as "we believe that politics is about issues, policies and programmes."

Tewari also described the BJP as a "regional party".

"The reality is that the BJP is not our principal opposition party. Whether you like it or not, BJP is at best a regional party of the Hindi heartland with some outreach into western and some parts of south India, where also with God's grace, they are going to be defeated," Tewari said.

To a question about Modi's projection as the prime ministerial candidate, he said the Congress does not carry out political calculations on the basis of an individual.

He said that in 2004, Atal Behari Vajpayee was the mascot of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, while in 2009 the alliance contested the elections under the leadership of L K Advani and the result was "for everyone to see."