Terrorism, inflation key BJP poll issues: Naidu

Terrorism, unemployment and inflation will be the BJP's key issues as it plans to launch an "aggressive campaign" for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Terrorism, unemployment and inflation will be the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s key issues as it plans to launch an "aggressive campaign" for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

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Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday that besides these issues, the party would also focus on "good governance" of the states ruled by the BJP.

"The BJP will launch an aggressive campaign against the misrule of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government. It has failed on all fronts," he said after a meeting of chief ministers of six party-ruled states with senior leader L.K Advani.

Naidu said: "Advaniji said the focus (in their states) should be good governance and delivery in the BJP-ruled states."

He also cited the results of the recent assembly elections to make this point, Naidu added.

Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh were in Delhi for the discussions.

The BJP leader said it was also decided at the meeting that food insecurity and agricultural crisis would also be taken up as campaign themes.

The meeting was held at the residence of Advani, the party's prime ministerial candidate. Besides Advani, party president Rajnath Singh and senior leaders Yashwant Sinha, Arun Jaitely, Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar were present.

In a new initiative, the BJP plans to engage hundreds of campaigners specially for the elections while it will reach out to first time voters directly and through public meetings.

Naidu said: "The party will recruit vistaaraks (canvassers) specially for the purpose of the elections. They will reach out to people."

Similarly, the BJP will launch a "first time voters' welcome programme" under which the party workers would contact new voters individually and through special meetings with them, Naidu said.