He made the statement at meeting with fund managers and industrialists in Mumbai.

Arvind Kejriwal, who has been railing against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, reportedly picked the BJP's prime ministerial candidate when he was asked to pick between Modi and Mayawati for the PM's chair.

While little has been reported about the proceedings of a closed door interaction between Kejriwal and top industrialists, fund managers and investment bankers in Nariman Point on Wednesday, The Economic Times reports that Kejriwal told the gathering, "If you hold a gun to my head, I will choose Modi."

He made the statement when he was asked to choose between the two leaders for the PM's post.

The man who asked the question, according to the report, was Anil Singhvi, former MD of Ambuja Cemnets and an investment banker. Prompted by Kejriwal's repeated references to a fractured mandate, Singhvi says he asked the former Delhi CM to take a pick.

"At first, Kejriwal told me he would choose none," Singhvi told ET. "But when I persisted and said that the country would need a PM, he said if forced to choose, he would go for Modi." He didn't give any further reasons for favouring Modi, nor did he indicate that he may be willing to consider post-poll alliances.

The meeting was attended by about 50 top fund managers and industrialists. It was held in Nariman Point's Bajaj Bhavan.

On FDI in retail, Kejriwal reportedly said he had asked for five good reasons to support it, but was yet to receive any.