BJP to fight UP polls on development plank, not Ram temple issue: Rajnath Singh

NEW DELHI: BJP will fight next year's Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh on the plank of development and not on the issue of construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya becasue it was a "cultural issue" and not political, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today.

"The Ram Mandir issue is not a political but a cultural issue. The matter is also sub judice. The matter is in the Supreme Court and we are only waiting for the judgement," he said.

Singh said BJP was going to contest the crucial polls in the country's most populous state on the development plank.

Asked whether polarisation would benefit BJP, he said his party has never indulged in the politics of communal polarisation for votes. "We neither have, nor are or will ever indulge in polarisation as I believe that polarisation can be dangerous for the country," Singh said in TV interviews.

In reply to another question on UP elections, the Home Minister said though he was not looking after the organisational activities directly but claimed that BJP will win it.

"I am familiar with the situation in Uttar Pradesh and keeping that in view, I can say that the BJP will get clear majority in 2017 Assembly elections. I am saying this with full confidence," he said.