Sunday, Jul 21, 2002
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By Our Special Correspondent
A day after the dissolution move, the BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, told a press conference here that, on the one hand, the Congress and the Left parties had stated that they were prepared for the Assembly elections and, on the other, criticised the Modi Government decision to go in for early polls. ``It shows their nervousness and unpreparedness. What is the rationale behind the double standards? Are they afraid (to face elections)'' Mr. Naidu asked. He claimed that instead of removing just one person (Mr. Modi) from power, the State Government recommended the dissolution of the Assembly to face fresh elections. ``It requires moral courage.'' On the Opposition demand for President's rule in Gujarat ahead of the Assembly elections, Mr. Naidu asked whether it could then be inferred that every State where elections were due next year should have a similar arrangement. The Congress had different yardsticks — one for States where the party was in the Opposition and another where it was in power. Since Assembly elections were due in nine States, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, would the Congress agree to bring these States under Central rule? ``If so, we can discuss it,'' Mr. Naidu said. Asked why the BJP was advocating President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir before the Assembly elections, Mr. Naidu said it had yet to take a stand and what was being articulated were the suggestions. He scoffed at the appointment of Shankarsinh Waghela as the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief, a factor that is said to have contributed to the BJP advancing the Assembly polls. `Waghela who? he asked and said: ``We know him better and sympathise with the Congress, for it did not have a person to take on the BJP. It had to take a refugee from the `parivar'''. Mr. Naidu announced the finalisation of work allocation for his new team. The details would be made public tomorrow, but specific responsibilities had been allotted in areas such as political affairs, public issues and people's problems, programme planning, implementation and monitoring, tour and coordination with the State units and focus on the affairs of SCs/STs and women. Separate teams for the media, elections and intellectuals would be formed. He discounted reports of a change of guard in some States where Assembly elections are due. Changes, if required, would be made after consultations with the State leaders and assessment by the central leadership. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, meanwhile today appointed Suresh Pachauri and Pawan Bansal as AICC observers for the Gujarat elections.
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