U.P. poll outcome could affect Centre: PM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 28. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today exhorted his party MPs to do all they can in the coming Assembly polls, especially in Uttar Pradesh where the elections are crucial. He was addressing the BJP parliamentary party.

Later the party spokesperson, Mr. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said the Prime Minister had indicated that the Uttar Pradesh election outcome ``could affect the Centre''. Not only must the MPs from U.P. do their best, but they should contribute their best during the Assembly elections scheduled early next year when besides U.P., Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir will also go to the polls.

Mr. Malhotra said that Mr. Vajpayee had clearly expressed his dissatisfaction when he said that the party had not been able to properly propagate the good work done by the Government. ``Is mein kuch kami nazar aa rahi hai (there is some weakness in this area),'' he said while telling them there were difficulties in the economic situation and this was not the time for the MPs to take the matter lightly. They must go out into the field and work hard.

This was the last parliamentary party meeting of the BJP this session, and Mr. Vajpayee was happy to note that though the session had begun with apprehensions that the Opposition would launch a major attack on several issues, by and large it had failed. There was no coordination among Opposition parties, and the National Democratic Alliance had emerged stronger and numerically bigger. The reference was obviously to the recent additions - the Trinamool Congress and the PMK.

Mr. Vajpayee claimed that the ruling alliance got the better of the Opposition in parliamentary and television debates and MPs must talk about the Government's achievements.

Later, when Mr. Malhotra was asked what the achievements were he said no Minister was involved in the Unit Trust of India muddle and mentioned the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana, lower price foodgrain for those below the poverty level, and many other centrally-sponsored schemes.

Party MPs raised several issues - they wanted a full investigation of what they called ``forged signatures'' sent in crores to the President by the Congress on the Tehelka issue. The MPs from Rajasthan claimed that the former Chief Minister, Mr. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, had the matter looked at and had come to the conclusion that the signatures collected in Rajasthan were not genuine. The MPs from Madhya Pradesh wanted a thorough investigation into the liquor lobby case and the allegations of corruption.

The Ayodhya issue did not come up. No one asked Mr. Vajpayee to elaborate his earlier statement that negotiations were taking place and the matter could be resolved by March.

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