BJP lacks personalities in South to win: Venkaiah

Chennai, May 14 (UNI) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Venkaiah Naidu today attributed the party's poor showing in the recent assembly elections, in the southern states, to lack of ''personalities at the constituency level.'' Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters 'Kamalalayam' here he said the party will focus its activities in the southern states at the grassroots level and work to solve peoples' problems.

''We need to develop personalities in our party down south,'' and added the party had not lost anything although it could not win any seats in the southern states.

He said in Tamil Nadu, after 1996, the party decided to contest alone in the 2006 assembly elections. Although the party could not win any seats this time, its vote share in the state was two per cent compared to 1.81 per cent in 1996, he averred.

''But we have no regrets on going alone. Our stakes were limited,'' he said and added ''politics for us is not just winning seats but a mission.'' He said although the party again failed to open its account in Kerala, it maintained its vote share of five per cent.

''In Pondicherry too, we failed to get any seats. But the party unit has been galvanised,'' he added.

Mr Naidu said the BJP needed to field good personalities if it is to make any inroads down south and added the executive meetings of the Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry units will be held in June.

The party's Central leaders will attend these meetings, he added.

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