Indore: Sobered by defeat in Himachal Assembly poll, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to focus on local issues in the coming Assembly elections, rather than resort to aggressive 'hindutva' and the party is expected to draw its strategy on these line at its national executive beginning in Indore on April 4.

The two-day meeting, the first after the party's debacle in the Himachal Pradesh polls, is expected to identify the issues for the crucial elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Delhi and Rajasthan, take stock of the preparations and organisational weaknesses, which contributed to the recent drubbing, besides draw up the poll strategy.

"There is nothing like Gujarat experiment. All state elections are fought on local issues. 'Hindutva' is BJP's ideology. We are dedicated to it but we don't contest elections on that, party general secretary and spokesman Pramod Mahajan told reporters after a meeting of the party general secretaries called to prepare the agenda for tomorrow's meeting.

Asked about the Madhya Pradesh elections, where the party is holding its executive session with an eye on the polls, Mahajan said, the elections would be fought on the basis of failures in the performance of the Congress-led governments. The polls in Madhya Pradesh would also be fought on local issues.

He, however, said the general elections next year would be fought on national issues.

PTI