NEW DELHI, Dec 10: The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday decided to project senior leader Lal Kishan Advani as its prime ministerial candidate in the next general elections it epxects soon, Press Trust of India said.

It said the announcement by BJP president Rajnath Singh ended uncertainty over its leadership issue for the next Lok Sabha polls which are not due until May 2009 but are widely seen to be likely earlier.

PTI quoted the BJP president as saying the decision to project had the consent of party patriarch and former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who has not been keeping well.

The decision came after a meeting of Parliamentary Board, BJP’s highest decision-making body, which was chaired by Mr Singh and attended by Mr Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and other senior leaders.

”Lok Sabha elections are not far now. The Parliamentary Board decided unanimously that Advani will lead the party in the next Lok Sabha elections,” Mr Singh told a press conference.

He said Mr Vajpayee has given his consent to the decision to project 80-year-old Mr Advani, former Deputy Prime Minister, as the party’s prime ministerial candidate, PTI said.

”We met Vajpayeeji. He said because of health reasons, he cannot participate in active politics. So, it is better that Advani leads the party,” Mr Singh told media persons.