CHANDIGARH: The pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest the forthcoming mid-term poll to the Lok Sabha without adjustments with any party and will field candidates for over 450 seats party vice president L K Sharma said ‘Thursday.

Sharma said at a press conference there was no possibility of any seat adjustment except for some regional level adjustment including in Maharashira with the Shiv Sena.

He said the new national executive of the party would meet in New Delhi on March 16 and 17 to elect central election committee party Parliamentary board and election manifesto drafting committee.

The BJP Sharma said would enter the election fray with the aim of securing a majority on its own at the center.

Sharma said the main poll issue of the BJP would be to challenge the other political parties who have accused the BJP on secularism issue. “Let all political parties define secularism which according to us is justice for all and appeasement to none” he added.

He said while assessing the forthcoming poll the qualitative change in voting pattern has to be kept in mind. The performance of each party will be taken into account by the voter he said adding this time the benefit of split and division of votes between the Congress-I and other parties would go to the BJP.

The other issues to be taken up by the BJP in the law elections would include the worsening economic situation law and order situation and center-state relations Sharma said.

In Pune the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said it would extend its full support to the BJP and other parties who campaigned for the Ram Temple at Ayodhya during the ensuing mid-term poll.

HP secretary general Ashok Singhal said Hindu religious leaders would mobilise people all over the country with the aim of installing a government at the center that supports the construction of Ram Temple in place of a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya.

He also said the Congress-I “would be digging its own grave” by reaffirming its support to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 22, 1991