New Delhi: Despite a stunning verdict in favour of Congress and its allies, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (May 14, 2004) said it continued to believe that high constitutional posts should not be held by people of foreign origin, even as it ruled out finding a "scapegoat" for the defeat.

In his first press conference after the poll verdict, party president M Venkaiah Naidu said the issue of who would be the leader of the Opposition would be decided before the swearing in of the new Government.

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Political Parties in India

"We are not opposed to Sonia Gandhi in person, but our conviction is that Constitutional posts like President, Vice-President and Prime Minister should be held by people of Indian origin. She was not projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate," he said in response to a question.

Asked whether the party would boycott Gandhi in Parliament, he said, "It is not in our culture. We accept the people's verdict. We are a democratic party."

Briefing about the Central Parliamentary Board (CPB) meeting at Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence, he said the leaders took an overview of the electoral outcome and the broad conclusion was that the results needed to be analysed and studied deeper.

"The State units would be asked to convene meetings of their respective executives and office-bearers to make a detailed review of the outcome and a Central observer would be deputed to guide them," he said.

The general secretary of organisational matters Sanjay Joshi would also be gathering feedback and thereafter the CPB would review the results at the national level and take specific correctives, Naidu said.