The Hindu : Other States / Uttaranchal News : Voters will bring Vajpayee back to power: Mishra

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Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

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Voters will bring Vajpayee back to power: Mishra

By Our Staff Correspondent

DEHRA DUN, APRIL 6. The Bharatiya Janata Party formally launched its campaign for the Lok Sabha elections here today with the senior party leader, Kalraj Mishra, urging the cadres to fan out to the remotest areas and apprise the voters of the achievements of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led Government at the Centre over the past five years.

Recounting the achievements on the domestic and international fronts, Mr Mishra said the party would win all five Lok Sabha seats from Uttaranchal and 45 to 50 in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. These figures were based on the party's perception that the people in general wanted Mr Vajpayee back as Prime Minister for another term.

Lashing out at the Congress for having suppressed the nation's development for over four decades, Mr Mishra said the NDA Government had not only restored the national pride but also made India a force to reckon with in the world community. "We have done much to improve the economic condition of the people in the last six years and want to make India an economic super power at the earliest," he said.

He described the Congress Government in Uttaranchal as a total failure where the Chief Minister had no control over corrupt bureaucrats or Ministers and partymen fighting for plum posts. "This has led to a strong anti- incumbency factor in the State and the Uttaranchalis would vote for the BJP," he stated. An audio cassette with songs in praise of Mr Vajpayee and his government was also released.

The former Chief Minister, Nityanand Swami, known as a gentleman in politics, wondered why the Congressmen were fighting each other for petty gains. "It is this infighting that has turned the voter against them and the BJP is likely to surpass previous records of getting votes," Mr Swami said. The going for the BJP that had cornered four of five Lok Sabha seats in the region during the last elections is not going to be easy this time. The party has been losing to the Congress in all elections after it was defeated in the last Assembly polls. "Simply harping on the corruption issue may not help the saffron party much," said Rajender Sajwan, a teacher and social activist here.

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Voters will bring Vajpayee back to power: Mishra