The Hindu : BJP to go it alone in four States

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 26, 2003

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BJP to go it alone in four States

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR MAY 25. The BJP will be fighting the coming Assembly elections in four States on its own. In Mizoram, the party is looking for probable alliances and tie-ups.

The national office-bearers of the party, who met here for a day to review the preparedness for the elections, said the party's chances were bright in all the four States but the workers should not fall into the trap of "the often felt complacence'' under such circumstances.

The BJP general secretary, Pramod Mahajan, who briefed presspersons on the office-bearers meeting said that the heavy anti-incumbency factor in the four Congress ruled States — Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi — would help the party win with heavy margins.

"This is the last trial of strength between the party and the Congress prior to the next Lok Sabha elections,'' he said.

Mr. Mahajan said the party had decided on its prospective Chief Ministers in Madhya Pradesh (Uma Bharati), Rajasthan (Vasundhara Raje Scindia) and Delhi (Madan Lal Khurana). The probable party Chief Minister for Chhattisgarh would be decided soon, he said.

He denied that the BJP was treating its partners in the National Democratic Alliance "shabbily'' and said that no such complaint had come from any of the NDA members.

As for Ajit Singh, who had resigned as Union Minister in time before he was dropped in the Cabinet expansion the previous day, he said, "his is a one-member party in the Lok Sabha. We have accommodated him for long.''

Asked whether Mr. Singh's exit would affect the electoral prospects of the BJP in Rajasthan, he said, "if that was the case do you think we would have let him leave.''

Mr. Mahajan said the party would hold organisational elections — except in five States — also during the year both at the State and national levels.

"We are the only political party in the country to have regular organisational elections. By September, the States would complete their polls," he said.

The BJP leader announced holding of the party's next national executive meeting in the Chhattisgarh capital, Raipur, for three days from July 18. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, will attend the meeting.

The next meeting of the national office-bearers is scheduled for June 25 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

``Till the Assembly elections, we will have one of our national-level meetings in the States going to polls,'' he said.

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