New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh took upon himself the responsibility for the party's defeat in the recent parliamentary elections on the first day of party's National Executive meet which commenced here on Saturday. Singh, however, stated in his message that there was no need to "single out one person" for the debacle. "BJP believes in collective responsibility both in victory as well in defeat but if some people think that one person should take the responsibility then I, as the national president, take the responsibility," Rajnath stated in a message read out by BJP General Secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad during the two-day meet. "This concept of eternal, liberal and tolerant also represent the basic character of India." Rajnath stated in his message. Conceding BJP's failure to put across party's message clearly to the public, Rajnath stated in his message: "We could not convey the concept to the people. We could not articulate it properly and we need to articulate it in contemporary idiom." The party President in his message also stated that the verdict of Election 2009 was not a "nationwide defeat" for the party.
-June 20, 2009