BJP to contest next polls on collective leadership, says Pradhan

Raipur, Sep 4 (UNI) The BJP is not likely to project anyone as its Prime Ministerial candidate in the event of a mid-term poll as the party believed in 'collective leadership', party secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, MP, said today.

''If you ask me, Atalji is still number one in the party,'' he told newspersons at the state party headquarters here.

Asked who was 'number one' in the party and under whose leadership the party would face the electorate in the event of a mid-term poll to the Lok Sabha, Mr Pradhan evaded a direct reply saying that his party believed in collective leadership. ''Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr L K Advani and Mr Rajnath Singh are our leaders,'' he said.

Mr Pradhan, who was here to attend the four-day meeting of the state BJP, parried questions about reports of dissensions within the organisation saying, ''There are no dissidents. Everybody has a right to express his or her views. If any corrective step has to be taken, it will be done.'' Referring to the ongoing UPA-left parties spat over the nuclear deal, Mr Pradhan said the BJP was of the view that any such deal had to be considered in totality, keeping in view the overall national interest.

Mr Pradhan described the UPA government's latest announcement of unveiling its plan of action on the Sachar Committee report in parlianment, as a political stunt and said it was part of a game plan of minority appeasement.

''Those who were in power for decades did not do anything for the minorities instead, used them as mere vote bank'', he said mentioning the poor conditions of minorities in West Bengal where secelar perties were in power.

He alleged that the latest actions on Sachar Committee recommendations were an attempt to divert the attention of the people and divide the masses on religious lines for electoral gains.

UNI