The Hindu : National : BJP plans stir in Uttar Pradesh `against lawlessness'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 11, 2005

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National

BJP plans stir in Uttar Pradesh `against lawlessness'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 10. With its eyes focused on the need to revive its fortunes in the most populous State of Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party today declared the Samajwadi Party (SP) its "enemy number one'' in the State.

"Mulayam Singh Yadav's party is our enemy number one in U.P. and we will soon start a massive protest agitation in the State against the lawlessness there,'' the BJP vice-president, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said.

Scotching all speculation that the BJP had been rather soft towards the Mulayam Government, Mr. Naqvi said that the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, would lead the protests. This would be after the ongoing Assembly elections are over.

To revive fortunes

After experimenting thrice with the Bahujan Samaj Party and supporting Mayawati as Chief Minister, party leaders have come to the conclusion that it must start afresh from the grassroots and on its own. The BJP's share of Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh has sunk from a high of over 50 seats in 1996 and 1998 to just 10 seats in 2004. And the party would like to revive its fortunes there.

Mr. Naqvi pointed out that the Congress was being hypocritical in supporting the Mulayam Government and yet criticising it almost on a daily basis. The Congress should decide whether it is with the SP or against it.

As for the BJP, it has declared — after some hesitation — that the SP is its enemy number one. Less than a year ago, at the time of the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Vajpayee had on several occasions hinted that the BJP had some understanding with the SP.

At that time BJP leaders had suggested that if the NDA were to fall short of a majority it would have no hesitation in taking the SP on board.

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