BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain addresses a news meet in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Aug. 9: The BJP today struck a conciliatory tone by saying chief minister Nitish Kumar’s opinion would hold “much significance” while deciding its candidate for the post of Prime Minister in the 2014 general elections.

But it stuck to its stand saying it would not declare its prime ministerial candidate till the polls were notified.

BJP national spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said in Patna today: “Nitish is obviously one of the top leaders of the NDA and there is a coalition government in Bihar under his stewardship. The opinion expressed by him on the issue of BJP’s candidate for the PM's post will hold much significance.”

“Even those who are in power at the Centre are unclear about who would be their candidate for the post of the next PM, then why should we reveal? We will decide when the right time comes. At present, the Union government is not falling and therefore, there is no urgency to choose our candidate,” said the BJP national spokesperson, who was in the capital to attend an Iftar party hosted by the chief minister today.

Hussain clarified that the party and the coalition members would take the decision only when the poll scene becomes clear.

Hussain, who represents Bhagalpur in the Lok Sabha, also defended party leader L.K. Advani’s statement in the Parliament yesterday in which he had termed the Manmohan Singh government “illegitimate”.

He added that Sonia Gandhi’s attitude over the issue was “unfortunate”.

Hussain alleged that the win of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates had made Congress “arrogant”.

He said even if Team Anna’s fight for an effective Lokpal bill had ended, the BJP would continue its struggle for the same.

Asked whether his party would respond to Baba Ramdev’s call to join the three-day symbolic fast, Hussain said the party had kept the fight alive in Parliament, the temple of democracy.