BJP national president Rajnath Singh on Wednesday sounded the poll bugle for the 2014 lok Sabha polls and asked the party workers and leaders in the State to help the BJP-led NDA in making next Government at the Centre.
The BJP national president also termed the party as the ‘most secular’ while accusing the Congress of dividing communities on communal lines for votes. Singh also used the occasion of a minority leader from Assam’s Barak valley Makbul Ali joining the BJP here on Wednesday to drive home the point that the saffron party indeed vouch for secularism and wanted equitable development of all communities in the country.
The issue of secularism of late has become an issue of much debate within and outside the BJP after its oldest ally Janata Dal (United) parted ways following elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as poll campaign chief. Janata Dal (United) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar broke ties with BJP saying that Modi’s elevation would not go down well with the minorities.
“If there is any communal party it is the Congress. BJP is the only secular political party. We do not want any divisions between Hindus and Muslims. It is only the Congress, which always wants to create divisions and use Muslims only as vote banks. We cannot make India a strong nation if some communities are left behind in the path of development,” Singh said.
It was Singh’s first visit to the State after he became party president this year. At the public meeting here Singh also felicitated BJP’s candidates who won ward councillor and area sabha member seats in the recent Guwahati Muncipal Corporation polls. BJP won 11 of the 31 ward councillor seats, emerging as a major political force in the city against Congress which won 19 seats.
At the meeting, Atul Bora (senior), one of the founding members of Asom Gana Parishad, joined the BJP along with his supporters. Ali was also an AGP leader in Barak valley. “The performance of BJP in the municipal polls showed that the party is an alternative to the Congress rule in the State,” Singh added.