Raipur, July 20: The BJP today made it clear that Hindutva would not be an issue in the forthcoming assembly polls but said that it would not give up its pet ideological issues, including construction of Ram Temple, uniform civil code and abrogation of Article 370. Briefing reporters after the conclusion of BJP's three-day national executive meeting here, party president M Venkaiah Naidu national unity, security, good governance and development would be its main poll agenda in the next Lok Sabha elections.
Naidu also declared that the BJP would go it alone in the the coming assembly elections in five states and said was confident of getting the peoples' mandate in four of the five states while making its maiden entry in Mizoram Assembly.
Describing the deliberations at the national executive meet as "meaningful", he said, "The resolutions on Ram Temple and women's reservation testify the party's resolve and shows the practical way forward." He expressed hope that the Women's Reservation Bill would be passed in the monsoon session of Parliament, which commences tomorrow.
The BJP president said the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin did not figure at all in the three-day meeting.
Charging Congress with whipping up hysteria on the Ayodhya issue on the anniversary of the December 6 demolition every year, Naidu said they allowed shila nyas and announced from Red Fort that the Babri Masjid would be reconstructed. "They want contention and tension to continue," he said.
Naidu said the meeting gave a "clear direction, clarity and confidence" to the party's operation 2003 of winning Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi Assembly polls and mission 2004 of bagging 300 seats in the next general elections. Bureau Report