NEW DELHI: Several senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders are unhappy with the Delhi unit's handling of the sealing and demolition issue in the Capital, and feel that it missed out on an opportunity to win the hearts of the people.

"We lost the Assembly elections in 1998 on the issue of onion prices and now we have failed to capitalise on the people's anger over the sealing and demolition issue. Had we been able to isolate the Congress at this stage, it would have not only meant a cakewalk for us during the upcoming elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi but would also have built a momentum which could have been carried all the way to the next Assembly elections,'' said a senior BJP leader.

The BJP leaders also feel that the party allowed the agitation against sealing and demolition to be "hijacked'' by the Confederation of All-India Traders and it worked to their disadvantage.

"It was a relatively little known group which gave the agitation a look of a non-political fight. However, the handling was limited to calling of bandhs, holding `relay hunger strikes' and staging mild protests. What was really needed was for the group to fill up the Ramlila Maidan with traders in a show of strength. But that did not happen.''

Stating that though the BJP was capable of doing much more than just organising block level protests and patting itself on the back through issue of press releases, the leader said it was lack of vision and a coordinated approach which put paid to the party's hopes of winning support. "We should have been seen with the people when they were in distress. And by the time some BJP leaders decided to launch their own efforts through the Vyapar Bachao Andolan it was too late.''

Some BJP leaders believe the Congress also played its cards well. It promoted CAIT all the way and managed to distance the BJP from the protests in the process.

Also, being traders, the CAIT leaders were not willing to hold vociferous protests or gherao the residences and offices of Congress leaders the way a political group would have. Also, the rivalry between Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken helped the cause of the Congress as the criticism was deflected to the other group.

And so now, when sealing is still going on, there are absolutely no protests. On the contrary, despite no change or relief at the ground level, CAIT has gone soft with the very leaders it once accused of harming trade and business in the city.

"They recently hosted a dinner which was attended by Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy along with Mr Maken and Ms Dikshit and then also got the Chief Minister to inaugurate their seminar. When sealing is still on, what is it that has made them friends?''

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