BJP to expand support base

[1]

BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj (from left), L.K. Advani, party chief Nitin Gadkari and Arun Jaitley in Mumbai on Thursday. — Asian A

The Bharatiya Janata Party, deviating from its Hindutva stand, now seeks to replace the Congress by becoming more like it. The party’s strategy to become the principal pole of Indian politics hinges on it being able to expand its support base, party president Nitin Gadkari said at the BJP national executive meeting here on Thursday.
The BJP strategy hinges on three imperatives, according to Mr Gadkari: Expansion of support base in states where the party is traditionally weak, increase in the party’s overall vote share by at least 10 per cent, and expansion of the National Democratic Alliance.
Mr Gadkari pointed out Goa’s example to stress the need for expanding the BJP support base among religious minorities. “In Goa, the BJP succeeded in ousting the Congress in the recent Assembly polls as the party has succeeded in winning the support of a large section of the minority. Nine of our MLAs there (out of 21) are from the minority community. Learning from the Goa experience, I would like all our party units to intensify similar efforts to win the trust of our sisters and brothers belonging to minority communities,” Mr Gadkari, who is known for his proximity to RSS, said.
He also called upon the party to begin preparations for elections to the next Lok Sabha, “irrespective of whether they are held in 2014 or earlier”. Towards this end, he stressed on unity, discipline and dedication. When asked about the BJP’s agenda on Hindutva, party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, said, “We don’t see any difference between Hindutva and nationalism.”