Narendra Modi is the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP-led NDA, the party parliamentary board decided on Friday, ending weeks of speculations.

This signals a generational change-over for the BJP, as it ignored vehement opposition from its tallest leader LK Advani. The decision also sets up a virtual presidential kind of fight for the general elections scheduled next year – though the Congress is yet to formally name Rahul Gandhi as its candidate.

Read more: Set to be cornered in BJP, Advani sticks to his guns

BJP president Rajnath Singh made the announcement at a press meet at the party headquarters. Modi thanked the party for the decision and said he would lead the fight against UPA’s corruption.

The announcement came in the presence of the leaders of opposition, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, former party presidents Nitin Gadkari and M Venkaiah Naidu, among others. Advani decided to give the parliamentary board meeting a miss – just as he had skipped the party executive in Goa in June.

It was in Goa meet that the three-time Gujarat chief minister was named the chairman of the party’s election campaign committee, which meant naming him as PM candidate was a mere formality.

Rajnath Singh told the media that he had spoken to “all the NDA allies” and they were fully in support of the decision, even as he refrained from naming the allies. JD(U) parted ways with the BJP on this issue, leaving only Akali Dal and Shiv Sena in the fold.