Call him the BJP’s “10 per cent” man if you will. BJP president Nitin Gadkari feels his party can return to power at the Centre if it can bridge the 10 per cent gap in votes with the Congress.
To do this, Mr Gadkari told this newspaper in an interview, the BJP has set aside its Ram Janmabhoomi agenda and plans to reach out to the Congress’ traditional votebank.
The BJP, he said, would adopt “21st century politics”, more aimed at progress and development than communal issues. The BJP is constantly taking up economic issues, he noted.
The BJP chief said the party’s focus would be in South India. “We needs to improve upon (our) strength in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. We have to strengthen (our) base by including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and labour in the unorganised sector,” Mr Gadkari said.