Advani is like ageing pickle: Parrikar

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manohar Parrikar has likened party veteran L.K. Advani to ageing pickle that had turned rancid and said his political innings were "more or less over". Advani had only a couple of more years left in active politics, the former Goa chief minister told a local news channel on Monday.

"Pickle tastes good when it is left to mature for a year. But when if you keep it for more than two years, it turns rancid... Advani-ji's period is more or less over. Another couple of years, maybe. But he should be around as a guide or a mentor for the party members," Parrikar said. Parrikar, currently leader of opposition in the Goa assembly, said Advani had been the best leader in the BJP in terms of integrity and character. "I have great respect for Advani-ji on these counts," he said.

Calling for a change in guard at the party's helm, Parrikar, 54, said it would have to project a new youthful face with credibility. "I am not against elders, but the BJP should give prominence to leaders who are between 40 and 60 years," he said.

Parrikar has reportedly been touted as a successor to BJP president Rajnath Singh, whose term ends in December,2009.