The Hindu : Lok Sabha polls the real test: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2003

National

National

Lok Sabha polls the real test: PM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI DEC. 9. The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today cautioned his party against getting carried away by its success in three of the four States that went to the polls earlier this month.

Addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party this morning, Mr. Vajpayee asked them to be on guard against the Opposition. "They can go to any length to defame us," he said.

The Prime Minister also sought to inject a note of realism in the current euphoric mood in the party by reminding the MPs that the string of victories "should not be allowed to lull us, the real test for the party will be the Lok Sabha elections."

He said the formation of the new governments had raised the expectations of the people. "We will be judged by our achievements or the lack of it, in these States."

The Prime Minister asked the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, who were present at the meeting, to focus on development and to chalk out both short-term as well as long-term goals.

He advised them to give priority to result-oriented schemes, as the people would judge them in the first 100 days of the Government. He said they should concentrate on development issues such as roads, power and water.

The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, described the formation of BJP governments in the three States as "a landmark development'' and the victories have "reversed the trend."

He attributed the victory to the ``feel good factor' generated by the Prime Minister. "He will rule the country for another five years," he said.

The party president,Venkaiah Naidu, said the party had succeeded in achieving whatever tasks it had set for itself for the year 2003.

"Now we must set our sights on mission 2004, which means 300 seats for the BJP and two-thirds majority with the allies in the next Lok Sabha elections," he said. The meeting was also addressed by the newly-elected Chief Ministers.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National