BJP to retrieve ''party with a difference'' image

Lucknow, Dec 22 (UNI) Projecting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its 'lucky mascot' ahead of the assembly polls in key Northern states, the BJP today firmly resolved to retrieve the image of ''a party with a difference'' and attacked the Manmohan Singh-led Government and ''pseudo secular forces'' for pursuing the policy of appeasing the minorities.

The party also accused the UPA of jeopardising the country's nuclear programme by inking nuclear deal with the US while 'failing' to contain terrorism and price rise.

The party's three-day conclave which started here today asked the partymen to gear themselves up for the assembly polls.

A senior party leader, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, said Mr Vajpayee's charisma was intact and he was the best PM the country had so far, while party President Rajnath Singh directed the party cadre to be disciplined to rectify the sullied image of the politicians among the masses.

Throughout the day, a debate over the party's prime ministerial candidate refused to die down in the BJP. Dr Joshi, bete noire of Leader of Opposition LK Advani, added a new dimension to the debate by describing Mr Vajpayee as an incomparable leader not just within the party but the entire country.

Dr Joshi maintained that there was no dearth of leaders capable of handling the Prime Minister's job, but Mr Vajpayee was ''incomparable''. His remarks come on the heels of Mr Advani's interview in which he had reportedly said that he aspired to become the prime minister of the country.

Mr Vajpayee's remarks at a function in Delhi this week that he was still around was a matter of discussion among the partymen in the context of Mr Advani's statement.

The mood during the meet was upbeat because of the party's impressive performance in the recently held municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh and Mr Vajpayee's active participation in the party affairs. The partymen appeared certain to ''revive the Hindutva agenda in the coming polls to counter the Muslim vote bank politics of the UPA and Samajwadi Party.'' The BJP President tone and tenor in his inaugural address was aggressive against the UPA Government to charge up the partymen in the run up to the assembly polls.

BJP UP state President Keshari Nath Tripathi made it clear that the party would definitely highlight 'Hindutva' agenda. BJP spokesman Arun Jaitley however chose to remain tight-lipped on the party's poll strategy and its planks.

Editors here pick up from earlier series.

UNI KAS/NB/MCN RP RAI2009