Narendra Modi likely to meet Advani, Rajnath in Delhi today

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, June 18: Gujarat Chief Minister

is likely to meet BJP leader L K Advani and party chief Rajnath Singh here on Tuesday.

Modi will be in Delhi primarily to meet Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and finalise the state's annual plan.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will meet Advani here on Tuesday.

If Modi meets Advani, it will be the first interaction between the two since Advani had resigned from three key forums of BJP in the wake of the Gujarat Chief Minister's elevation to head the party's campaign committee for coming Lok Sabha elections.

Advani, however, later withdrew his resignation following a telephonic talk with Bhagwat and persuasion by BJP leaders.

In a move having big political significance, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to visit Ayodhya this week and will also offer prayer at the disputed site.

Ashok Singhal, Praveen Togadia, Gorakhpur MP Yogi Aditya Nath and yoga guru Ramdev will be reaching the town on Tuesday to welcome Modi, said Sharad Sharma UP spokesman of VHP.

Sharma said that the Gujarat Chief Minister, who is expected to visit Ayodhya on Wednesday or Friday, will also visit the Ram temple.

VHP has also called a meeting of Hindu saints who have played active roles in Ram temple movement in 1990s, he said.

"Modi's message to his party men and electorate from the land of Ayodhya will be important in the coming elections," the VHP leader said.

Modi will also meet top VHP saints in Ayodhya, including the president of Ram Janam Bhumi Nyas Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

This will be the first visit of Modi to Ayodhya temple after demolition of the disputed structure.

According to the sources he visited Ayodhya in 1998 with Lal Krishna Advani, but did not visit the shrine.

"Modi's move towards Ayodhya is also an indication that the Hindutva forces are seriously considering him as the PM candidate for General Election," the VHP leader said.

His visit implies that the BJP, which had dropped the Ram temple issue in the last Lok Sabha elections, would rake it up this time.

PTI