New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) two-day national council meet will begin on Saturday to discuss the preparations for Assembly Elections to be held later this year.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is expected to overshadow talks at the meet, in an indication of his growing stature within the Bharatiya Janata Party.

On Friday, Modi came in for special praise at BJP’s national executive meeting.

In his speech, party chief Rajnath Singh termed the atmosphere favourable for the party in the next General Elections. Modi came in for repeated praise in Singh’s speech, signalling he may be accorded a national role. There have been demands from within the BJP that Modi should be declared prime ministerial candidate, effectively pitching him against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

Senior party leader Arun Jaitley said there was growing interest in Narendra Modi as a PM candidate due to a groundswell in popular support.

“There’s a growing interest in Modi as the PM candidate. This is due to a groundswell in support building up among the people,” Jaitley later told a TV channel.

“When there was a media blitzkrieg against him, he had the strength to survive by addressing audiences over the heads of the media. There are few Indian politicians who have the courage to do that. I think Modi has made a huge mark on Indian polity,” Jaitley added.

BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, who briefed reporters about the deliberations of the national executive, said the meeting specially greeted Modi for his victory in the Gujarat Assembly Elections in December.

He said Rajnath Singh hailed Modi for creating “a new record among the BJP chief ministers by being the first to be elected for third consecutive term with convincing majority”.

Prasad said the party chief also praised Modi for his development record and said that performance of BJP-ruled governments was being discussed around the world.

“He (Rajnath Singh) made a special mention of Gujarat… that even the European Union is recognising his government’s performance and seeking to build new relationship,” he said.

Answering queries, Prasad said the party had not decided its prime ministerial candidate and had made its position clear repeatedly on the issue.

“Let me reiterate it today. We are very proud of the leadership of Narendra Modi. He was appreciated, complimented because of the historic third win… who shall be prime ministerial candidate, the party’s parliamentary board will decide at the appropriate time,” Prasad said.