BJP defensive over RSS remark on uma

The party leadership is at pains to emphasise that its vote bank has not been dented, reports HS Bartwal.

Embarrassed at the RSS view deploring the division of “saffron” votes in the recent MP bypolls due to the tussle between BJP and its expelled leader Uma Bharti,the party leadership is at pains to emphasise that its vote bank has not been dented by the sanyasin’s Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS).

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“We don’t accept the view that Uma Bharti’s party has cut into BJP’s votes,” said party spokemsan Prakash Javadekar while reacting to the editorial in RSS mouthpiece ‘Panchjanya’ which advised against splitting of votes between parties following Hindutva ideology.

The edit piece, while welcoming BJP’s victory in the Bada Malhera and Vidisha byelections, had observed that the “saffron versus saffron” scene there was unfortunate.

Party chief Rajnath Singh maintained that the BJP had won both byelections with good margins.Javadekar also claimed that the defeat of BJS candidates in both the seats would send a message to the people that the organisation is supreme rather than any individual.

“We are sure she will not be able to gain even this much support in the next elections,” he said.