New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Asserting that there would be no ideological change in the party with his taking over, new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Thursday said he would concentrate on expanding the party’s organisational base and reach out to the weaker sections and minorities.
Gadkari, the youngest BJP chief at 52, also made it clear that “indiscipline” within the party would be dealt with strongly.

“There will be no ideological change (in the party) because of my arrival. Nationalism will remain the ideological foundation… The BJP remains committed to genuine secularism, not vote-bank secularism,” Gadkari said at his first media conference after being appointed the BJP national president last week.

Steering clear from commenting on the party’s controversial poll planks like the Ayodhya temple movement, the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and Uniform Civil Code, Gadkari strongly refuted reports of interference by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the party’s affairs.

“The RSS does not want to take over the BJP or dictate. We do not get orders from the RSS and there is no interference from them. Nobody dictates to us. This is a misunderstanding,” said Gadkari, who himself is an RSS member.

Gadkari vowed to take the BJP back to its “lost glory” due to a flurry of setbacks in the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections — with the Jharkhand polls being the latest where the BJP bagged only 18 seats, 12 down from the 30 it got in 2005.

“In my next three years I have to expand the party’s organisation base. We have to expand the vote bank of the party. We will reach out to SC/ST (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), unorganised labour and do more work for the minorities,” Gadkari said.

He said the belief that the BJP was anti-minority was far from the truth.

“I don’t believe in discrimination on the basis of religion and language. No such discriminations are acceptable. But appeasement of minorities had become the definition of secularism and appeasement of terrorists has now become the definition of secularism,” he said.

Gadkari, a firebrand leader from Maharashtra, has been given the reins of the party at a time when the party ranks is riddled with factionalism and infighting.

“Discipline is not something to talk about, it has to be executed. Indiscipline will not be tolerated,” Gadkari said.

He asserted that his party was a “natural alternate” of the Congress. He also said he would strengthen the BJP based on his political and organisational planning in the next three years. The BJP chief asked the party members to work for development and described politics as “an instrument for socio-economic change”.

Gadkari said his party would support the government in combating terrorism and Maoism.

“I urge the UPA government to be firm in combating these twin threats (of terrorism and Maoism) and pledge my party’s support to every right step it might take in this direction,” said Gadkari.

Gadkari also sought to put to rest reports of division within the party ranks after his name was proposed for the top position.

“BJP leaders are good. I was a junior activist and have been promoted to the top post despite the presence of stalwarts. Advaniji and Rajnathji said they are standing behind me. They are supporting me fully.”