Top BJP leaders to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said its top leaders will attend the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister on December 26.

"All the top BJP leaders will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Modi on December 26," party's national spokesperson, Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters in Jammu.

"We have registered a historic victory in Gujarat under Modi -- we congratulate him for his efforts," he said.

"It is BJP's third consecutive term in Gujarat and the party will be forming government in the state for the fifth time," Rudy said.

Modi, who posted a resounding victory in the assembly elections, will be sworn in as Gujarat chief minister for the fourth time. Modi became chief minister for the first time on October 1, 2001 and subsequently in 2002 and 2007.

Asked whether Modi is a prime ministerial candidate for BJP, he said "Modi has been a senior national leader -- he has a national image -- before taking over as Gujarat CM, he was the party's national general secretary."

"When our party makes any such decision, media would be conveyed about it", Rudy said.