In a bid to set at rest all speculation of a divide between the BJP’s Big Two, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today showered praise on Atal Behari Vajpayee, saying he was vajradapi kathorani, mruduni kusumadapi (hard as a diamond, soft as a flower), the man destined to return the NDA to power in the next elections.Speaking at the BJP chintan baithak near Mumbai, Advani pointed out that around the time the PM launched his latest peace initiative with Pakistan, the government also mounted the highly successful Operation Sarp Vinash against infiltrators from Pakistan. He characterised national security as top priority for NDA government, saying ‘‘we seek peace with Pakistan but, are determined to root out the menace of cross-border terrorism.’’‘‘The greatest strength of the BJP is that we have a leader but have continued to remain wedded to our principle of collective deliberation and decision-making,’’ he said, adding that coordination between the party and the government had substantially improved in the last one year. On the BJP’s performance, Advani said, ‘‘people have assessed us against four important criteria: stability, national security, development and good governance. They are satisfied with our performance. This is the basis on which we shall seek and win a new mandate from the electorate.’’Later, when reporters asked BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu on the VHP’s tirade against the party over the Ayodhya issue, he said: ‘‘There’s no need for us to accept all VHP’s recommendations. We agree with them on some counts and disagree on others. The VHP thinks only about Hindus. We have to think about all communities, not only Hindus. We have agreed to disagree with them whenever it’s needed.’’On Ayodhya being a poll plank, he said it was not a poll issue but ‘‘a matter of faith.’’ ‘‘We do want a beautiful Ram Mandir to be built at Ayodhya. But that is the BJP’s view, not the NDA’s.’’ Describing the chintan baithak as an uttam baithak hoping to arrive at an uttam parinaam, Naidu said the purpose of the meet was to take stock of the BJP’s performance, its relations with its allies at the Centre, states and to formulate measures which would show it in good light.Party insiders said several leaders made a forceful plea to make Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin election plank, contending that the issue would have an emotional appeal. If effectively exploited by the NDA, the issue could put the Congress on the defensive, the leaders said. But the meeting being only interactive, no decision was taken.The suggestion would be placed before decision-making bodies like the national executive, central election committee and the parliamentary board before formulating the election manifesto. On the timing of the next parliamentary elections, majority view was that the party should wait and see the results of the Assembly polls. Once the results were out, the leadership could review the situation.
