The Hindu : Karnataka News : Stern unity call sounded at BJP State executive meet

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Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Stern unity call sounded at BJP State executive meet

B.S. Satish Kumar

‘Give BJP a clear mandate for development’
The dais depicted Lord Krishna blowing a conche

Yashwant Sinha

DAVANGERE: Bharatiya Janata Party National Vice-President and Karnataka in-charge Yashwant Sinha, on Tuesday, called upon the party State unit to maintain unity. “No personal agenda. Only the party agenda should be there. Whatever is good for the party must guide us. Strength of the party enables us to discharge our responsibilities,” Mr. Sinha said, while addressing the inaugural session of the party’s two-day State executive in Davangere.

Mr. Sinha’s stern unity call has assumed importance in the wake of some of the party senior leaders recently making a trip to Delhi, reportedly to complain to the party Central leadership against the manner in which things were being handled by the State unit.

“You must know that we are in a transparent world and live in a glass house. Whatever you try to suppress will go out through the media,” Mr. Sinha said, even while some of the leaders who had gone to Delhi were seated on the dais. “I want this executive to send a clear message to the State and the country that the Karnataka BJP unit is united and ready to come to power on our own,” he said.

Mr. Sinha observed that differences of opinion is common in any political activity and there is no need to hide such things.

“We will become an artificial party if we try to hide such things,” he said. But once a final decision on any issue has been taken, the focus should be to implement the decision and not to air differences, he noted.

No unilateral decisions

At the same time, he dropped hints that the party will not allow any unilateral decisions. Pointing out that the declaration of L.K. Advani as the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate was made by the party’s parliamentary board and not by any particular individual, he said similar norms would be adopted by the party State unit while making important decisions.

Speaking to The Hindu, he made it clear that no one-man decisions and dictatorial attitude would be allowed in the party and the sentiments of party leaders would be respected.

Declaring that the party is ready to face elections, he said the Congress would be the main opponent for the BJP in the ensuing elections. “I will not count the Janata Dal (Secular) as that party has committed suicide by not keeping its word of transferring power to the BJP,” he said.

Bring pressure

The Congress and the JD (S) do not want elections as they are scared. But the BJP should bring pressure on the election commission to ensure that the elections as held at the earliest as per the constitutional norms, he said.

Stating that the party would give importance to development, Mr. Sinha said people of Karnataka must give a clear mandate to the BJP if they want comprehensive development in the State. “Give a clear mandate and get comprehensive development,” he said.

Coming elections

He likened the ensuing elections to Mahabharat and said it was a struggle between dharma and adharma. The backdrop of the dais for the executive had a scene from Mahabharata depicting Lord Krishna blowing a conche (Panchajanya) to declare the beginning of war.

The BJP leaders too blew conches to indicate their readiness to face the elections. The backdrop even had a slogan "war is certain" and "this time it is going to be the BJP".

Speaking on the occasion, party State president D.V. Sadananda Gowda, too, stressed the need for maintaining unity and expressed confidence that the party would win 140 to 150 Assembly seats.

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