06-20-2009, 10:37 PM
<b>BJP failed to articulate poll issues in contemporary context: BJP</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New Delhi, Jun 20 : Conceding that the BJP was not able to articulate its views during the Lok Sabha polls resulting in the party not performing up to the mark, BJP President Rajnath Singh today asked the party to collectively find a solution while offering to own up the responsibility if any individual had to take the blame.
Kickstarting the two-day National Executive with his opening remarks at Parliament Annexe here this morning, Mr Singh said the party had not been able to disseminate and articulate its position in the polls.
''The issues raised, be it external or internal security of the country, foreign policy, terrorism, appeasement or disrespect to cultural symbols, were all related to plight of the common man or farmers and they will remain relevant for the country. Perhaps we need to have presented the views in a better and contemporary context,'' he said.
Mr Singh's stress on 'collective responsibility' is viewed as an escape route from the present status of the party that has been aptly described as a party 'on a volcano'. Although he had put his own head on the bloc if any individual has to take the blame, but it cuts no ice in a party where senior leaders are baying for sidelining the the strategists responsibile for the failure.
The BJP President also sought the partymen not to undermine the importance of the people's mandate to play the role of a responsible and constructive opposition. The party had got only 22 seats less than it had in 2004 polls and the reasons for wins and losses were state specific, he said.
The party was analysing the reasons by visting the states and the Lok Sabha constituencies to understand the factors thoroughly.
There will be a structured debate for three days in August where all the views, suggestions and grievances would be properly addressed, he said.
He said it was a cause for concern that only 37 to 38 sitting MPs in the 14th Lok Sabha had made it to the House this time. This was the trend witnessed among the 13th Lok Sabha MPs also, he noted.
He said the Congress had emerged as a single largest party after the BJP. The Left parties, and many major regional parties were way behind the BJP in terms of number of seats in the Lok Sabha. The mandate had clearly shown that the common man's national option was to move towards bipolar polity. ''This is why it is important for the BJP to expand the organisation and take effective steps to get people's mandate. Tomorrow will definitely be ours,'' he exuded.
He said ideology, organisation, leadership and strategy were the four components for any party to succeed. While ideology is the perpetual guiding force, the organisation, leadership and strategy played significant and immediate role in determining the victory or defeat in polls. Hindutva or Bharatiyata or cultural nationalism -- all occupied the same esteemed space in the politics of the BJP and its status for the party was akin to that of the Constitution in the politics of the country, he reasoned.
Justifying his own role as the BJP President, Mr Singh listed the states where the party had wrested power from the Congress while retaining power in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. However the party had failed in making inroads in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, he regretted.
About the performance of the BJP governments in the states, he said Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh were 'gaining popularity' as government of common man. In Bihar, where the BJP was in coalition, people were believing that there was a working government in the state afer a long time.
Stressing the need to maintain discipline, Mr Singh said the party had to ensure disciplinary mechanism in the coming years and it may move forward with better coordination and unity within in the states.
He said party activists should be made to participate in decision making and implementation processes and better coordination between the party and 'morchas'. Differences should be sorted out and disciplinary actions should be swift and not delayed. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Kickstarting the two-day National Executive with his opening remarks at Parliament Annexe here this morning, Mr Singh said the party had not been able to disseminate and articulate its position in the polls.
''The issues raised, be it external or internal security of the country, foreign policy, terrorism, appeasement or disrespect to cultural symbols, were all related to plight of the common man or farmers and they will remain relevant for the country. Perhaps we need to have presented the views in a better and contemporary context,'' he said.
Mr Singh's stress on 'collective responsibility' is viewed as an escape route from the present status of the party that has been aptly described as a party 'on a volcano'. Although he had put his own head on the bloc if any individual has to take the blame, but it cuts no ice in a party where senior leaders are baying for sidelining the the strategists responsibile for the failure.
The BJP President also sought the partymen not to undermine the importance of the people's mandate to play the role of a responsible and constructive opposition. The party had got only 22 seats less than it had in 2004 polls and the reasons for wins and losses were state specific, he said.
The party was analysing the reasons by visting the states and the Lok Sabha constituencies to understand the factors thoroughly.
There will be a structured debate for three days in August where all the views, suggestions and grievances would be properly addressed, he said.
He said it was a cause for concern that only 37 to 38 sitting MPs in the 14th Lok Sabha had made it to the House this time. This was the trend witnessed among the 13th Lok Sabha MPs also, he noted.
He said the Congress had emerged as a single largest party after the BJP. The Left parties, and many major regional parties were way behind the BJP in terms of number of seats in the Lok Sabha. The mandate had clearly shown that the common man's national option was to move towards bipolar polity. ''This is why it is important for the BJP to expand the organisation and take effective steps to get people's mandate. Tomorrow will definitely be ours,'' he exuded.
He said ideology, organisation, leadership and strategy were the four components for any party to succeed. While ideology is the perpetual guiding force, the organisation, leadership and strategy played significant and immediate role in determining the victory or defeat in polls. Hindutva or Bharatiyata or cultural nationalism -- all occupied the same esteemed space in the politics of the BJP and its status for the party was akin to that of the Constitution in the politics of the country, he reasoned.
Justifying his own role as the BJP President, Mr Singh listed the states where the party had wrested power from the Congress while retaining power in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. However the party had failed in making inroads in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, he regretted.
About the performance of the BJP governments in the states, he said Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh were 'gaining popularity' as government of common man. In Bihar, where the BJP was in coalition, people were believing that there was a working government in the state afer a long time.
Stressing the need to maintain discipline, Mr Singh said the party had to ensure disciplinary mechanism in the coming years and it may move forward with better coordination and unity within in the states.
He said party activists should be made to participate in decision making and implementation processes and better coordination between the party and 'morchas'. Differences should be sorted out and disciplinary actions should be swift and not delayed. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->