Bhartiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh said that the party should jointlytake responsibility for victory or defeat. "If any individual must own up the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, I as the president of the party I accept the responsibility," he said while making opening remarks at two day meeting of the national executive at Parliamentary Annexe in New Delhi on Saturday.
Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and Jaswant Singh, who had shot off controversial missives to the party president, in the last couple of weeks attended the meet. In his ten-page address to party leaders, workers and party's supporters he said that while the defeat did take them by surprise but there was no need to feel disheartened.
Singh thanked the millions of party workers and the people who voted for the party and asked them to work with greater vigour as the future belonged to the BJP with India heading for a bi-polar polity. "I am fully confident that in the end, we will be victorious," he said while pleading with the workers and leaders to be ready to do Nishkaam Karma (selfless work) in the interest of the party.
Dwelling on the reasons of defeat Rajnath said that the party was not able to commnicate its views in proper and effective mannerand nobody in the BJP should feel ashamed of the issues that were raised during the election campaign. He defended the stand taken by the party on Hindutva.
Briefing mediapersons, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the party does not regret projecting L K Advani as the prime minister. " He was the senior most leader of the party and hence the projection," he said in response to a question.
The BJP's official spokesperson chose not to answer questions relating to stand taken by senior party leader M Venkaia Naidu, who said in that there could be rethinking on Hindutva during an interaction with journalists in Hyderabad. " I have not seen the statement of Venkaiah Naidu and I am in no position to say anything," Prasad said. He dismissed question regarding the communal statements made by Varun Gandhi.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the party had taken strong stand on riots. "The BJP condemned riots in Gujarat and in Karnataka," he said.
