Sharp differences between the saffron top leadership surfaced on Friday with veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani declaring the party is not yet ready for early polls. On Thursday, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari had raised the cry “Delhi chalo” urging the BJP cadre to be ready for an early poll. Mr Advani also raised doubts about the BJP as a “credible alternative” to the Congress-led UPA.
In his valedictory speech at the three-day BJP conclave in Surajkund, Mr Advani said there is a need for the BJP to “first emerge as a credible alternative”. With some BJP leaders’ names being linked to various scams, Mr Advani said “questions can also be raised about BJP leaders’ credibility”.
“Sections of the media say there is anger against the Congress, but BJP may not be up to it to replace them,” he said, adding that “there is a big opportunity now”. He reiterated that the people’s anger against the UPA can only help the BJP if they find it to be a “credible alternative”.
He said the NDA should be expanded and the BJP should work towards an “imaginative re-projection” of its “commitment to secularism” and the minority communities reassured that the party “...brooks no discrimination or injustice in dealing with different sections of our diverse society”.
Claiming his “plain speaking” was to ensure that the BJP is not found lacking as an alternative to the Congress, the senior BJP leader asked party leaders to remain above board on corruption issues. He asked them to speak in “one voice” and not “multiple voices”.
“When we criticise the Congress on corruption and there is even a whiff of corruption in our party there is so much noise... we should act tough against our own people (on corruption),” Mr Advani said.