Guwahati: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kushabhau Thakre on July 5 said that his party was gearing up for the Assembly elections in 10 states, including four in the North East, in 2003.

Talking to reporters, Thakre said each of the four states had different characteristics and the party would stress on the local issues.

To a question that "Hindutva" would not work in the three Christian majority states of Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya, Thakre said, "They have common problems such as lack of development and infrastructure, absence of economic development, ethnic problems and problems from across some of the international borders they share."

Stating that BJP would not boycott polls in Nagaland as was done during the last elections, he said in Mizoram the party would contest in one or two seats where possibility of success was high.

In Meghalaya too, the party's strength from the present three would be improved, former BJP president said.

The BJP in-charge of NE, who came to Guwahati to attend a three-day meeting of the party workers of the region that began on July 3, said during discussions it was revealed that barring Assam the organisation had not reached the last corner of the other NE states.

PTI