BJP tones down on Hindutva

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) chintan baithak in Goa has discussed threadbare the strategies for the upcoming assembly elections in the five states of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Aruna-chal Pradesh.

However, BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu's statement at the end of the three-day baithak revealed none of this.

Instead, while discussing the top ten priorities of the BJP, Naidu trotted out terms like "nationalism" and "organisational discipline" even as he avoided the use of the term Hindutva. According to a senior leader in the party, the baithak"" which was closed to the media""discussed not just the defeat of the party in the recent general elections but also various reports of faction fights within the party.

"The reason why the media was kept away was because the party felt there was a need for a frank discussion," said a senior leader present at the meeting.

Not just that, the fate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) if the BJP returned to the Hindutva path was also discussed, especially in the light of the fact that the BJP's key allies like Janata Dal(United) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had been giving warnings about it.

During the meeting, several leaders, including former Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, had suggested a "harmonious integration of the Hindutva ideology" with the party's social base expansion plans. The RSS joint secretary in charge of the BJP, Madan Das Devi, said the party should keep to its Hindutva roots.

It was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who stressed the need to keep the NDA intact even as the party grew further. The 10-point charter released after the baithak speaks of increasing the party's base among minorities, tribals, and backward classes, revealing Vajpayee's stamp.

A lot of stress was laid on the way the party's rank and file was to be trained. In fact, senior leaders have been asked to set an example by declaring that they would forsake high offices by not contesting elections. Transparency in financial matters was also encouraged.

The baithak, which was announced when Vajpayee's remarks on Modi were aired, was also supposed to look into whether the Gujarat chief minister was to be removed. But the matter was not touched upon.

"The party's direction would continue to be guided on the twin commitments on nationalism and development. There is no question of leaving the path of development. Both are inseparable. Without nationalist feelings, you cannot have development," the BJP chief told  reporters after  the meet.

"And without economic upliftment, stong security and due respect to each section of the society and taking care of their aspirations, you cannot talk of nationalism," he said.