Onkar Singh reports from New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha has asked newly-appointed party president Rajnath Singh to name Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi as the party's official prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

"If Nitish Kumar (Bihar CM and leader of JD-U, crucial alliance partner of BJP-led NDA) is not happy let him quit the alliance. Modi can lead the way," Sinha said.  

Singh also clarified that he would have been forced to contest for BJP presidentship if Nitin Gadkari decided to go for a second time.  He said either the whole party is communal or not, but only one individual (Modi) should not be dubbed as communal.