Bhopal: Claiming that the epicentre of national politics has shifted from Ram Temple to development under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti tonight (Apr 24, 2004) said her endeavour is also to push religion and caste to the back seat.

"From 1991 to 2000 Indian politics remained Ayodhya-centric, but since 2001 it has been development oriented and will be so till 2010. The credit for this goes to Atalji," she said at a function to launch Bhopal edition of English daily 'The Pioneer'.

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Bharti said the day she was asked to lead Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaign in Madhya Pradesh in March last year she decided to give a new direction to politics by separating religion and caste and to make development the focal point.

"That is why I highlighted issues like bad roads, power crisis and water problem in the run up to the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. The aim was to give politics a new direction by making development the key word," she said.

Dismissing speculation that she may stick on to the top post for a short span, she said she need not give any explanation on it as people would realise the fact with the passage of time.

On journalism, Bharti said newspapers lose their credibility when they mix news and views. Wrong reporting has its remedy but when false reports are deliberately published in a planned way they spoil newspaper's credibility, she said.

Editor-in-chief of 'The Pioneer' and Rajya Sabha MP, Chandan Mitra said the newspaper, one of the oldest in the country would maintain its credibility and professional excellence.