New Delhi, Oct 9: The United States call to combat global terrorism appears to have become the mantra for the Bharatiya Janata Party to consolidate its wavering Hindu vote bank.

Senior BJP functionaries claimed that the "terrorism" would be "the issue", on which the BJP would contest the forthcoming polls and "take on its rivals." Terrorism is going to be the main issue to be raised and discussed in the "Mahadhiveshan" of the BJP's youth wing to be held in Agra on October 13.

Both Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister L K Advani, who would attend the youth rally are expected to speak on issues of terrorism and exhort countrymen to fight the menace. The proposed rally will be the kick off to the forthcoming UP polls.

Terrorism would be the main focus during the BJP's national council on October 21 and three-day national executive begining in Amritsar from Novemeber 2. BJP chief K Jana Krishnamurthy said that the three-day national executive would adopt a resolution on terrorism and the party's call to the nation to counter the menace.

Even though the BJP is trying to keep the issue of terrorism seperate from religion, RSS spokesperson M G Vaidya went on record saying that "all Muslims are not jehadis, but all jehadis are Muslims." A BJP functionary involved in the UP politics observed that banning of Students Islamic Movement of India "could also politically work in BJP's favour during the forthcoming polls."

Realising that the Muslim vote bank was "out of bounds" for the BJP, the saffron strategists have decided to work to consolidate the Hindu vote bank.

The BJP functionary remarked: "Despite our reservation policy for the most backwards, the BJP would not have been able to consolidate the Hindu vote bank ." However, the call to combat terrorism would certainly "unite the Hindus in our favour."

The BJP strategists feel that the Sangh Parivar's original Hindutva ideology would play a major role with regard to terrorism issue. .