Is Advani planning for a retirement on his 85th birthday?

New Delhi, Nov 8: On Thursday, Nov 8, Bharatiya Janata Party (

) leader

celebrated his 85th birthday. Political pundits wondered whether the BJP patriarch is all set to retire from his political career? Moreover, Advani himself brushed away suggestions of his wanting to be the party's prime ministerial candidate.

"The party and the country have given me so much, it is much more than becoming the Prime Minister," Advani told reporters. Advani is known to nurse prime ministerial ambitions and during the 2009 general elections, he had gone on a countrywide rath yatra to connect with people.

Experts feel that Advani is too old to adorn any post and should take retirement from politics. "But he has enough experience to guide BJP as and when needed," said a political analyst, on condition of anonymity.

Among those who went to greet Advani were party chief Nitin Gadkari, who is under attack for alleged financial impropriety in the funding of his Purti Group.

Advani had not gone for the BJP core group meeting on Tuesday to decide on the future of Gadkari in the wake of allegations against him. The party has reposed faith in Gadkari's leadership and said he has done "no legal or moral wrong".

However, Advani supported Gadkari in a blog last month, where he congratulated the BJP chief on saying he was open to a probe.

OneIndia News