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Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to identify issues, in tune with its own ideology and the National Democratic Alliance agenda, for a country-wide mass contact programme starting May.
After Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on Saturday appealed to party cadres not to be apologetic about its 'ideology', Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Sunday said the party needs to approach and convince people on the basis of its 'ideology', to succeed.
Party president Jana Krishnamurthy, however, declined to state what will be these issues and whether Hindutva will be part of it. He has set up a sub-committee to identify these issues in a next few days.
Krishnamurthy said the Chennai declaration, which was adopted in the background of the formation of NDA in 1999, would be studied by the committee before identifying issues.
The BJP chief then plans to begin nation-wide tour from May for four months, taking these issues to the people and strengthening the party organisation in all the states.
Identifying Congress as its main opponent who has adopted a 'confrontationist attitude', the BJP has decided to face the challenge posed by the Congress, through its 'own programme'.
He was, however, non-committal on whether the party resolution on Gujarat crisis has strengthened its Hindutva ideology.
"The Hindutva stands where it was", Krishnamurthy said.
"Our party is governed by the NDA agenda and it will adhere to it", he, however, assured.
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