The Hindu : NDA is cracking up, says Bardhan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 29, 2004

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National

NDA is cracking up, says Bardhan

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN. 28. The Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, today said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was "cracking up" with its seven members deserting it while the Left, democratic and secular parties were coming together.

In the inaugural address at the two-day national executive meeting of the party at Makhdoom Bhavan, State CPI office, Mr. Bardhan said no amount of "artificial propaganda" over the "feel-good factor" would help the BJP. If that party thought it had stolen a march over the Opposition by advancing the Lok Sabha elections, it was mistaken.

In contrast to the disarray in the NDA, the Left, democratic and secular parties had consolidated their position not only in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura but also in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

"Our unity will be as broad as possible. It may not be the same in every State; the objective is to defeat the BJP and its allies."

In Bihar, the Government was being maligned on the law and order front. But going by the number of murders, dacoities and rapes, the worst place was Delhi, where the law and order is handled by the Centre and overseen by the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani.

The national executive of the CPI would discuss various issues and the reports from the States on the party's strengths and weaknesses.

The BJP general secretary, Pramod Mahajan, was talking as if the BJP had returned to power. "The fact is that they will get the due response from the people; they will be shown the door."

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