The Hindu : NC can part ways with NDA: BJP chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 12, 2002

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National

NC can part ways with NDA: BJP chief

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD OCT. 11. The BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, today said that the party would not dissuade the National Conference (NC) if it chose to part ways with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Asked whether the BJP would snap ties with the NC in the wake of the debacle in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Mr. Naidu said the NC leaders were saying they would quit the NDA. "We will not persuade them against their decision.''

Mr. Naidu said the poll outcome seemed to be influenced primarily by the anti-incumbency factor against the NC Government. The BJP's strength was always confined to the Jammu region. Though it had suffered a severe setback by losing almost all the seats, its vote share had gone up.

The BJP chief said there was a strong feeling among people outside the Valley that Jammu and Ladakh regions were discriminated against. This feeling of alienation coupled with the BJP's alliance with the NC in New Delhi cost the party dear. He denied reports that differences between the Union Minister, Chaman Lal Gupta, and the State unit chief, Dayakrishan Kotwal, were responsible for the BJP's rout.

Another reason was the confusion over seat-sharing with the RSS-supported Jammu State Morcha. Although there was an agreement, the seat-sharing was incomplete with both parties contesting in some constituencies. People also got confused on the issue of trifurcation of the State , which the Morcha supported and the BJP did not. The BJP president said the successful completion of elections had proved beyond doubt that democracy was strong in the country.

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