Bangalore: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (May 16, 2004) said Sonia Gandhi's ability and capacity as well as the issue of her foreign origin will assume increasing importance with every day that passes with her as the Prime Minister.

"I think the issue of her ability, her capacity and the issue of foreign origin will now with every day that passes assume increasing importance with her in the chair," party General Secretary Arun Jaitley told reporters.

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"The level of scrutiny on these issues will be much higher now than it ever was earlier," he added.

Asked if the BJP would certainly welcome that scrutiny, Jaitely said, "As a political party, we are part of the national debate and I think what our colleagues have done is to put forward the issue before the debate. I think these issues will be relevant with every day that passes."

According to him, the issue of a person of foreign origin acquiring the high Constitutional office such as the Prime Ministership was debated during elections but only in abstract because people did not see a reasonable possibility of Sonia Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister.

Jaitely said he agreed with senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj's view that it (Lok Sabha elections verdict) was not a mandate for Sonia Gandhi because she (the Congress president) was not kept in the focus.