BJP is grounded party, no question of arrogance: Devendra Fadnavis

Describing the BJP as a grounded " political party, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Thursday it did not lose the recent assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states due to its arrogance.

Addressing a gathering at the Lokmat National Conclave, he said, "If we look at the character of Rajasthan, every five years the government changes."

"The BJP got 38.8 per cent votes and the Congress got 39.2 per cent votes, so the Congress can't say people dismissed the BJP because they got just 0.5 per cent more votes," he said.

On Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's remark that the BJP had become arrogant after winning in the 2014 general elections and lost the recent polls due to it, Fadnavis said the BJP is a "grounded" political party.

"The BJP is a grounded party and we are not arrogant because we have come from the ground so there is no question of arrogance because we are not big people," he said.

On MNS leader Raj Thackeray's attack on the BJP over the recent poll loss, Fadnavis claimed he just gives his views but no one takes him seriously, not even the media.

He said the party would introspect its loss in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

"It isn't arrogance it is self-confidence. We had more votes than the Congress in MP. In Chhattisgarh, we lost and we are introspecting," he added.

He also opposed the idea that the BJP was run by two people, saying 99 per cent parties are ruled by families in the country but in the BJP no one is a ruler.

"The BJP is a party of every party worker," he said.

He also took a jibe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying his party is going to be in the opposition for the next five years.

"Rahul Gandhi has to be in opposition for five more years so it is important that he builds a strong opposition front," he said.

He said the Shiv Sena would stay with the party and the allies had a different equation internally.

On Ram Mandir, he said it is not a political issue for the BJP and the feeling that it should be built is shared by various Hindus.

"A lot of things are of conviction. It is our conviction that Ram Mandir should be made and we would not use it as an election issue," Fadnavis said.

Responding to a question by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Ram Mandir being used as a polarisation issue, Fadnavis said he does not believe that Ram Mandir is an election or polarisation issue.

"When the matter is discussed we give our opinion and when we have a debate on it we give answers that a temple should be built," he said.

On the country's agrarian crisis, he said if farmers were unhappy they wouldn't have got as many votes in Madhya Pradesh.

"Agrarian crisis has been continuing for years and it would need a prolonged investment of years, as in four years it could not be dealt with. The promises the Congress has made before the election to farmers, let us see how they fulfil it," he added.

On the formation of a grand alliance, he said even if a coalition is made it wouldn't be able to survive.

"It doesn't matter if mahagathbandhan is made or not, people have the trust of (PM Narendra) Modiji and even if it is made it would not be able to survive. People want decisive leadership which Modi ji can provide," he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)