BJP should focus on collective spirit, says former idealogue Govindacharya

Says it is not persons, but policies of the parties that matter most

Former BJP ideologue K N Govindacharya said it would be prudent for BJP, heading NDA, to face Lok Sabha polls with "collective spirit" rather than projecting any Prime Ministerial candidate. Commenting on the raging leadership issue in BJP after the elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as campaign committee chief, Govindacharya said it was not persons, but policies of the parties that matter most.

"My perception is it is not the person, but policies which will matter. The BJP should have focussed on implementing their policies. I don't see any change in the policies in future too ...," he told reporters here.

He said "It would have been prudent for the BJP to go for elections with collective spirit instead of fragmented spirit," he told reporters here.

Govindacharya said he was not in a position to assess the personality of Modi as he has not been meeting BJP leaders regularly for the last 15 years. However, the party could have done better in not projecting the Prime Ministerial candidate. He said the break-up between JD(U) and BJP was due to lack of trust and dialogue between the two erstwhile NDA partners.

"I don't recognise rivalry and competitiveness in politics. All parties represent people's aspirations. Therefore, put together, all have to live supplementarily and complimentarily. That is how democracy has to function. The basic trust and dialogue should never be broken," he added.

Govindacharya said lack of trust and dialogue between the erstwhile NDA partners led to fear psychosis in JD(U) that announcement of Modi as BJP's Campaign Committee Chairman amounts to projecting him as prime ministerial candidate.

"This doubt could not be dispelled by the BJP leaders because they lacked moral credibility in the dialogue," he added.

"On Third Front, Govindacharya said there is a need for "alternative politics", not political alternative.