BJP gauging 'country's mood' on Ram temple, other issues

PATNA: With Ram temple issue once again coming into focus before 2014 Parliamentary elections through VHP yatra, a BJP sub-committee under the campaign panel headed by Narendra Modi is gathering feed back from people on Ayodhya and other burning issues to gauge "country's mood".

Jan Samvad, a sub committee under Central Campaign committee chaired by Modi that deals with people's participation, has posted 15 issues, including Ram temple, on its website asking people to rate their first five priority subjects.

BJP national secretary and party's co-in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, Rameshwar Chaurasia told PTI that the exercise was aimed at knowing the "mood of the country" in 2014 Parliamentary elections.

Chaurasia is fourth term BJP MLA from Nokha in Rohtas district of Bihar. He had defeated former Union minister RJD's Kanti Singh in the 2010 Assembly elections.

Jan Samvad is considered as "gateway" of the party that enables dialogue between the public and leadership. It also facilitates public partnership in mission 2014.

The website jansamvad2014.in, launched about a week back, asks the respondents to express priority on issues gripping the country now, he said.

Besides Ram temple, the issues on display in the website included corruption by the UPA government, price rise, unemployment, terrorism, Naxalism, MGNREGA and Food Security Act, minority appeasement and policy paralysis direction-less governance by the UPA government.

Chaurasia, a die-hard supporter of the Gujarat chief minister, said people's responses are being regularly monitored by a team constituted for the purpose.

The effort would help BJP decide its agenda for the crucial 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP secretary said.

VHP attempted 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama' at Ayodhya recently is seen as an effort to bring back the Ram Temple issue on the poll menu of BJP.