BJP needs to focus on Bihar: Shatrughan

The intra-party tension in the BJP came to the fore again on Tuesday with Shatrughan Sinha stressing on the need for the party to focus on Bihar even as he said the BJP had been missing the towering presence of Atal Bihari Vajpayee who has not been keeping well for some time.

After the JDU-BJP government logged an 11-pc plus growth rate in the past five years,the BJP MP from Patna Sahib on Tuesday stressed that a lot still had to be done to bring Bihar out of darkness and to ensure that the benefits of development percolated down to the lowest rungs of society,and below poverty line families. Shatrughans comments reflect the divide in the party that became apparent after the declaration of the BJP office-bearers list. The Nitish Kumar-Sushil Modi combine has been traditionally close to Arun Jaitley in central BJP.

Asked if he fancied a larger role for himself in an election-bound Bihar,Shatrughan said there was no vacancy in the state and therefore the question didnt arise,but added that he would be willing to pitch in,as and when required.

Shatrughan also said it was only natural that the party would be missing the towering presence of Atal Bihari Vajpayee,for his name was a banner in itself. He was a father figure and many feel almost orphaned when hes no longer at the helm of affairs, he said.

Asked whether the party has got strengthened or weakened after Nitin Gadkari took over as the party president,Sinha said: His intentions are good and he needs adequate support from all sections.