Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his 7, Race Course Road residence in Delhi on Wednesday, said that it was a courtesy call after the formation of a new government in his state.
"I came to meet the prime minister for the first time after the formation of a new government. I had a long discussion with the prime minister. The meeting was very cordial and I discussed several pending projects with the prime minister. The prime minister has assured of help and cooperation for development in Gujarat," Modi told media personnel outside the PM’s residence.
"I also discussed gas prices and the Narmada irrigation project with him. The prime minister congratulated me on my new government. I also brought up the issue of the Sardar Sarovar dam," he added.
This was Modi''s first meeting with the prime minister after being sworn-in as the Gujarat chief minister again in December last year.
Modi is scheduled to speak at a conclave organised by Delhi University's Shri Ram College of Commerce later in the day.
He is expected to talk on Emerging Business Models in the global scenario.
The Gujarat chief minister's visit to the national capital assumes significance in the wake of growing clamour in the Bharatiya Janata Party that he should be named as the party's prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 national election.
Speculations have been rife that Modi, who secured an electoral hat-trick in Gujarat in December last year, may spearhead the BJP's campaign in 2014 polls.
BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha and noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani have earlier openly endorsed Modi's name as the party's prime ministerial candidate.Other BJP leaders have been so far evasive on this issue.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s allies like the Janata Dal-United have indicated that Modi's name is not acceptable to them.
