Rajnath Singh has ability to bring people together, says Advani: Highlights

New Delhi: Outgoing BJP chief Nitin Gadkari and LK Advani today addressed the media after the appointment of Rajnath Singh as the party's new president. Here are the highlights:

Nitin Gadkari

• It was a honour to be the chief of this party.
• That I, a grassroot worker who was a polling booth manager, who rose to this high office is only possible in the BJP.
• Nationalism is our ideology, and through good governance we want to carry forward our work.
• As far as the second term goes, there has been a political conspiracy to malign me in issues I am not connected to.
• Yesterday, I felt it was a conspiracy to hurt the party by maligning  me.
• Before everything else we must consider the welfare of the party.
• Rajnathji was the party president before me - he will take us all together and his leadership can lead us to victory in 2014.
• People believe that if any party can change the future of this country, it is the BJP. I request all workers and leaders to work together to ensure that we are victorious  under Mr Rajnath Singh.
  
  

L K Advani

• I congratulate both Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh.
• Rajnath Singh, because I can say that from the beginning of the Jan Sangh - in a long political journey - there has never been a national president on whose election so many people have gathered.
• Winning elections needs an ability to bring people together, and this he has in adequate measure.
• They say we are an urban party, but the results have not borne that out... (Cites example of Madhya Pradesh)
• Rajnath has focused on agricultural  issues and farmers. I'm sure he will take the party forward on these principles.
• It is his special responsibility that there should be no compromise with anything that's not moral. Then we can live up to being the 'party with a difference'.
• We should also resolve to win lost ground in Uttar Pradesh. Rajnath is from the state and we should strive for that.
• (Praises Nitin Gadkari's work ethics and ability for innovation) The biggest thing that has happened in the last few days - look at news from the Congress... the biggest thing that I must congratulate Nitinji for is that he has frustrated our political opponents and this has given a fillip to our workers.