New York:

Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh has demanded that the United States should lift its visa ban on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Calling Modi the only leader with 'national appeal' at a meeting in New Jersey, Rajnath said he would raise the issue of denial of US visa to the Gujarat CM during his meetings with lawmakers in the United States.

Speaking in the US he said, "Modi is one single leader with national appeal. I will appeal to the US government to clear US visa to the Gujarat CM."

The United States first denied Modi a visa in 2005 over allegations that his government did nothing to stop the 2002 Gujarat riots. Modi has not applied for a US visa since the denial.

He also claimed that the party will get more allies to fight the polls. The developmental issues rather than the Ram Janam Bhoomi dispute would dominate BJP's poll campaign.

"It's not necessary that party president should also be a crowd puller and a prime ministerial candidate. I have an assignment to do for my party. I have a job to deliver - that is victory of the party in the 2014 elections."

"Seven months before the elections, I have nominated Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as Chairman of the party's Election Campaign Committee. What is unusual in that? We have nominated Modi like other parties do and why read between lines. I have named him as campaign head in view of his image, popularity and commitment to the party," he said.

Giving all indications that it could be Modi who is the prime ministerial candidate, Singh said the Chief Minister is certainly the most popular and tallest leader of India now. "He is a crowd puller not only in Gujarat but also in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from North to South, East to West. He is one single leader with a national appeal. His popularity will help the party in the elections," he said. On the question of party president not being projected as Prime Ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, he said it is necessarily not the one and the same.

Rajnath Singh is on a five-day tour of the United States. He is scheduled to speak on India and Afghanistan at an event in Washington and has several private and public meetings lined up too.

source:http://ibnlive.in.com/news