The Hindu : Bangarappa sees exodus of Congress workers to BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Shimoga

Bangarappa sees exodus of Congress workers to BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA, MARCH 9. The former Chief Minister, S. Bangarappa, said here on Tuesday that it was the achievements of the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which prompted him to join the BJP.

Talking to presspersons at the BJP office here, he said he was convinced that the BJP was the only party now that could serve the national interests best.

Mr. Bangarappa said that those who felt "suffocated" in the Congress should join the BJP. He said that there would be an exodus of the Congress workers to the BJP shortly. He said the Congress was destined to doom under the "inefficient" and "inexperienced" leadership of Sonia Gandhi. "I have never seen the Congress being so weak organisationally as now under the leadership of Ms. Gandhi,'' he said. He said he had never said that Ms. Gandhi should be projected as the future Prime Minister. He said her performance as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha was "poor" as she had failed to provide a collective leadership to the Opposition. Mr. Bangarappa parried a question on how having been a critic of the BJP so far he had reconciled himself to accept its policy on the Common Civil Code and banning of the cow slaughter.

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