Hyderabad: Giving strong indications that his party is weighing options to sail with BJP in the ensuing election, Lok Satta Party national President Jayaprakah Narayan on Sunday showered praises on the BJP Prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi .

In a face-to-face programme with HMTV and The Hans India Editor-in-Chief K Ramachandra Murthy, he said Modi was the symbol of development in the country. The BJP’s PM candidate was fighting the election on the development plank, whereas the Congress was still harping on issues which are based on caste and region to garner votes.

He said Modi has also achieved the credit of delivering clean governance in his home state. The Gujarat CM--turned PM candidate was the only leader speaking about people’s issue in the pre- election campaign in the country. He also hailed the BJP for anointing Modi as its PM candidate which reflected the practice of ‘democracy’ in the party.

He criticised the Congress was still struggling with ‘hereditary’ politics. It was unfortunate that the AICC Vice- President Rahul Gandhi took up the party cudgels just ahead of the election and was relying on issues based on caste and religion for political gains.

He opined that under these circumstances, the Congress was lagging behind BJP. The unbridled corruption and lopsided economic policies had caused a major dent in the Congress fortune and image. Ruling out truck with Congress, YSR Congress, TDP and TRS in both the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he evaded a direct reply on forging alliance with BJP . But, he hinted that it was not ruled out.

“At this hour, the party is seriously thinking about the well-being of the people. Lok Satta will consider joining hands with any like-minded party,” he said.Stating that he was seriously thinking about contesting Lok Sabha election this time, he said that he would take a decision in this regard after consulting his party leaders.

Jayaprakash said the political strategies adopted by the Centre and the violation of conventions and the Constitution in the bifurcation of the State taught a big lesson to the country about how not to divide a State. During the division, the Centre created animosity between the people of all regions, and polluted the entire political atmosphere, he added.