The Hindu : BJP to launch series of campaigns

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 22, 2002

National

National

BJP to launch series of campaigns

By Our Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR OCT. 21. The Bharatiya Janata Party president, Venkaiah Naidu, today said it had been decided to launch a series of campaigns as part of the party's preparations for Assembly elections in nine States and the general election of 2004.

At a press conference here, Mr. Naidu said the BJP would go to the polls with a positive plank — Vajpayee Ka Naam and Vajpayee Sarkar Ka Kaam (Vajpayee's name and achievements of the Vajpayee Government).

The party would launch a campaign highlighting the "failures" of the Congress-ruled States.

At the national-level, it would emphasise the achievements of the Vajpayee Government and expose the "double standards" of the Congress on various issues.

The BJP was preparing to ensure its victory in 300 seats in the 2004 general election. "It is not easy, but it is possible,'' Mr. Naidu said. The party was making preparations much before the polls in view of its defeat in the Assembly elections in some States.

The BJP chief, who is here to inaugurate the State-level party workers' conference at Puri tomorrow, said the party had decided to support the tribals on the issue of relocating them from forest areas in the light of a Supreme Court direction.

Mr. Naidu said the party had decided to meet the Prime Minister and also hold talks with the Chief Ministers of different States in this regard. The BJP would urge the State Governments to amend the laws or approach the Supreme Court for necessary relief, "It is a human problem and we should not ignore the issue.''

Mr. Naidu said protection of the environment was important, but at the same time amending the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, should protect the interests of the tribals.

Linking of rivers

"The BJP has also to decided to launch a campaign in favour of linking all the major rivers of the country in order to deal the drought, floods and to increase the irrigation cover, besides drinking water for people."

Since water was a State subject, a broad consensus was necessary to implement the project.

On the stalemate in forming a government in Jammu and Kashmir, he said: "It is a very typical situation which the country was watching. We wanted an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir''.

Rebels warned

Mr. Naidu warned the BJP rebel legislators in Uttar Pradesh of stern action if they did not toe the party line. He said he had spoken to the party's Uttar Pradesh unit president, Kalraj Mishra, asking him to talk to those MLAs.

When told that the rebel MLAs had formed a separate group, Mr. Naidu said that he was not aware if the MLAs had formed any group. "Action will be taken against anybody crossing the limits,'' he said.

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