The Hindu : It will be Vajpayee versus a question mark: BJP chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004

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National

It will be Vajpayee versus a question mark: BJP chief

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI JAN. 6. Brimming with confidence over the coming Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party today did not see the Leader of the Opposition and Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, as the main opposing contestant. It also said that there was a "feel good factor," which would be transformed into a "feel great factor."

The BJParty president, Venkaiah Naidu, said the contest in the next Lok Sabha election would not be between the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the Leader of the Opposition, Sonia Gandhi, but between "Vajpayee and a question mark."

While there was no uncertainty about the leadership of the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP, whose leader and prime ministerial candidate was Mr. Vajpayee, on the other side there was no clarity at all and "even the Congress party had become apologetic" about the overall leadership of the combined Opposition (front), Mr. Naidu said.

Mr. Naidu was responding to a question on whether the next Lok Sabha election would be a "Vajpayee versus Sonia" fight. He said that it would be "a contest between Atalji and a question mark" as the Opposition parties were in disagreement over Ms. Gandhi's leadership. "There was no unity, no clarity, no acceptability or credibility" on Ms. Gandhi, he emphasised.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Naidu quoted statistics to say that the economy was doing fine — 8.4 per cent GDP growth in the second quarter of this year, a $100 billion foreign exchange reserve position and a zooming Sensex which had crossed the 6000 point mark — he stated that India was experiencing a "feel good factor" which over the next five years would be converted into a "feel great factor." His view was that the NDA Government's "development policy" through various economic initiatives taken in infrastructure, agriculture and other sectors had begun to yield results. Development was now becoming "visible in every corner of the country." People were not only self-confident, but were also confident about the future.

He referred to Ms. Gandhi's strong criticism of the Government's economic policies in her speech while moving a no-confidence motion against it during the monsoon session of Parliament. "She had made fun of the Government's target of an eight per cent GDP growth, likening it to "Mungeri Lal ke haseen sapne (pipe dreams of Mungeri Lal)," but "today the growth figures will make Mungeri Lal laugh all the way," he added.

Mr. Naidu said India-Pakistan relations would not be made a poll plank, but there was no doubt that the reduction of tension and the prospect of peace between the two countries would in no small measure add to the "feel good factor."

The BJP would enter the electoral arena with renewed confidence that it was a "centre-stage party" which was "setting the political agenda" for the country. The BJP had "delivered on its promise" of a "tried, tested and trusted" leadership under Mr. Vajpayee even under the trying circumstance of a 23-party coalition. It had taken initiatives in every area even while fighting terrorism, striving for peace in the northeast, keeping the promise of a free and fair election in Jammu and Kashmir, and, finally, taking significant steps in poll reforms.

He said the BJP would try to keep the election campaign "positive" as far as possible. It would ask for votes on the basis of its own performance.

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