By IANS,
Chandigarh : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley Tuesday said party veterans Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani had made invaluable contribution to the BJP and their guidance was needed by the cadres.
“In whatever capacity or post (they are), is irrelevant. If they are able to serve and guide the party, the BJP workers would like that,” Jaitley told reporters here after the release of the BJP’s election manifesto for Haryana’s assembly polls next month.
“Vajpayee-ji and Advani-ji are senior leaders and have led the party in the last five decades. They have made invaluable contribution to the party,” he said.
Jaitley’s remarks came after he was asked for his reaction to reports that Advani, also a former deputy prime minister, had indicated to his spiritual guru that he wanted to retire from political life.
“I have not read that statement. You should really address the question to whom it relates,” Jaitley said, meaning that Advani is the best person to reply to this.
The BJP leader said the political alliance of the Akali Dal with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana instead of the BJP, with whom the Akalis run a coalition government in the neighbouring Punjab, will not have any implication on the Akali Dal-BJP relationship.
“The Akali Dal is very much part of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance),” Jaitley said.
“Such situations have come earlier also. In state-level alliances, sometimes, the adjustment cannot be made. This has happened with the Janata Dal (United) and Shiv Sena.”
“With the Akalis, we are together in Punjab and Delhi. In Haryana, there has been a problem. We have a different strategy in Haryana,” he added.
The BJP is contesting all 90 assembly seats in Haryana alone this time for the Oct 13 poll.