The Hindu : Front Page : Advani sends feelers to Mayawati

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Advani sends feelers to Mayawati

Special Correspondent

- Photo: Subir Roy

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L. K. Advani at a public meeting in Kanpur on Friday.

KANPUR: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani on Friday sent feelers to Bahujan Samaj Party president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati that his party was not averse to a possible understanding with her.

He also said that if the Left parties withdrew support to the Centre over the nuclear deal issue, the BJP would demand that the Manmohan Singh government prove its majority on the floor of the Lok Sabha.

Launching the BJP’s Lok Sabha election campaign in UP at a “Vijay Sankalp Rally” here, Mr. Advani sought to clear the air of mistrust between Ms. Mayawati and the BJP leadership. He said if the NDA comes to power at the Centre, it would not discriminate against any State government, “especially [in] the land of Ganga and Yamuna [UP] and the 18 crore people of the State. The NDA government will not overlook their needs and aspirations”.

Ms. Mayawati had withdrawn support to the Centre as she believed that UP was being discriminated against.

Mr. Advani drew a line between the BSP and the Samajwadi Party when he said the UPA government, which is in the “intensive care unit”, was willing to take the support of a party (SP).

Stating that the Congress-led government had lost the moral right to remain in power after the unprecedented price rise and quarrelling with the Left over the nuclear deal, Mr. Advani claimed that the BJP government would give fillip to development and ameliorate people’s sufferings. He accused the Congress of deceiving the people and added that the common man was reeling under the impact of price rise and the government was not concerned about farmer suicides.Internal security was endangered and terrorist activities had multiplied under the present regime, he said. Taking a swipe at the Congress leadership, Mr. Advani said once 7 Race Course Road (Prime Minister’s residence) was the most important address but now the Congress politicians and officers made a beeline for 10 Janpath. He said the Congress of today was different from the pre-1947 Congress when leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Sardar Patel fought for India’s freedom. He said the people of the country would not be satisfied till a Ram temple was built in Ayodhya. However, the BJP wanted that India’s image should be redeemed in the comity of nations. The people still remembered the NDA government which ensured that there was no price rise and took a resolve to end terrorism, he said.

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