No regret for not becoming PM, respect from all the parties more than enough, says Advani

Patna, Nov 14: Senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani today said he had no regret for not becoming the Prime Minister as the respect he got from all parties was more than enough and "overwhelmed" him.

"I have no regret for not becoming the Prime Minister of the country. The place I got in the Parliament and the respect I got from all political parties have been more than enough. The respect makes me feel overwhelmed. It is more than becoming a Prime Minister," Advani told reporters.

The 87-year-old veteran leader was here to attend a function at a residential school run by former IPS officer JK Sinha for boys and girls of Musahar community, one of the most downtrodden among the Scheduled Castes in Bihar.

Advani had been in the race for PM post till June 2013 when the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was anointed as Prime Ministerial candidate at BJP national executive meet held in Goa.

Asked about the performance of Narendra Modi's government, the former Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that it has spent just a little time in the office hence assessing it would not be fair, but said it was doing good and there was nothing "objectionable" about its work so far.

"Whatever the Narendra Modi government is doing is good and nothing objectionable has been done by it so far. It will be assessed when more time passes, but indications are good," the BJP patriach, who is part of 'margdarshak mandal' (guiding group) along with Atal Behari Vajpayee and Murli Manohar Joshi, said.

Talking about Congress and its criticism of BJP-led governments at the Centre and the states, the veteran BJP leader said it was one party (Congress) which had done most to ensure resounding victory of the saffron party in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections held this year.

"The way Congress committed scams one after the other in the country, it helped BJP ensure resounding success in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections held this year. I say that if anybody has worked the most for us, it is the Congress," said Advani with an impish smile and walked off to attend the function.

PTI