DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 23 (MExN): The tag of a ‘communal Hindu-leaning party’ ever weighing heavily on the shoulders, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is still optimistic of a repeat of 2003 and 2008. The party feels it is still in the reckoning to stake a claim in Nagaland politics despite its two MLAs relinquishing party membership and joining the NPF. The party entered state politics garnering an unexpected 7 seats in the 2003 NLA elections and coming up with 2 seats in 2008. Its two MLAs from 2008 though shifted loyalty giving a blow to the party’s future in predominantly Christian majority Nagaland, while reducing the party’s presence in the NLA to nil.
BJP’s national general secretary, Tapir Gao, who is also a former BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh, feel that the BJP should not be misunderstood. “It should not be misunderstood, if BJP is communal then it can’t be allowed by the Election Commission of India,” said Gao during an interaction with media persons on Sunday in Dimapur. Gao was in the State the past few days.
Visibly trying to wean away negative conception of people towards the party here in Nagaland, Gao said that the BJP was tagged as a communal political party by its political opponents. The tag arose more so because Hinduism is the major religion in India; whereas belying this, he added, “in BJP we’ve got all communities and religions,” while some of the most prominent leaders with Christian backgrounds are in the BJP.
He took the example of states with high presence of Christian populace, such as - Goa, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland; the states where the party have made its presence felt.
“Our political opponents are trying to communalise (trying to put a communal tag on the party) BJP; whereas BJP is a national political party where all communities are working together.”
He further went on to state that former Prime Minister, AB Vajpayee, during the BJP-led NDA regime had allotted Rs. 5 crore for the development of Christian institutes in Nagaland. It was judiciously utilised by the Nagaland government, he said.
