The Hindu : Raipur all decked up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 19, 2003

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National

Raipur all decked up

By Lalit Shastri

RAIPUR JULY 18. Raipur was today all decked up with banners, buntings, posters and welcome arches across the main thoroughfares to welcome the Bhartiya Janata Party leaders, including the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who arrived here to attend the three-day BJP national executive meeting which began today.

The Chhattisgarh capital has been put under a tight security cover and there is heavy police bandobust, especially at Hotel Babylon where the top BJP leaders would be meeting for the next three days to draw their party's strategy keeping in view this year's Assembly elections in five States and next year's parliamentary elections.

Besides the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, several Union Ministers and senior party leaders would be camping here for the marathon meet which, according to Mr. Naidu, would be devoted mainly to working out the strategy for "Operation 2003", that is the Assembly polls in five States — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, besides "Mission 2004" which is being equated with next year's Lok Sabha elections.

Despite the efforts of the BJP managers here to generate considerable hype coinciding with the national executive meeting, the citizens, it appeared, were more concerned about their normal day-to-day activities and this was reflected in ample measure by a cab-driver who said, "life has become too harsh and demanding these days for the common man to shift his attention from his daily responsibilities".

One saw along the roads here huge hoardings put up by the Congress Government in the State heralding the "all-round development and progress" under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi. There were also hoardings put up by the BJP depicting the Prime Minister, with the slogan "Atal Ji Ne Vaada Nibhaya..Chhattisgarh Banaya" (Mr. Vajpayee fulfilled the promise by creating Chhattisgarh).

The State BJP unit was earlier planning to organise a public rally coinciding with their national executive meet but they have suddenly chosen to underplay the event by organising a `Sankalp Sammelan' on July 20. This would be attended by over 10,000 party workers. A State BJP leader told this Correspondent that nothing much should be read into this as the rainy season had affected their plans to hold a public rally addressed by the Prime Minister.

The BJP had, on Thursday, released a 63-page "charge sheet" against Mr. Jogi. Releasing the "charge sheet", prepared by the Chhattisgarh MLA and former Minister, Brijmohan Agrawal, the BJP national general secretary, Pramod Mahajan, said it contained the "atrocities being committed against the general public in Chhattisgarh" and the Chief Minister's style of functioning.

Not to be left behind, the supporters of the ruling party inserted special advertisements in today's local newspapers describing Mr. Jogi as the "Messiah of the poor" and exposing the "misdeeds" of the NDA Government at the Centre. Through one such advertisement, they have reminded the people of the Tehalka scandal and scams linked with defence deals, allotment of petrol pumps, disinvestment and the Telecom sector. The advertisement, which comes as a "charge sheet" against the NDA Government, has been inserted by an organisation called the `Matdata Jagran Manch' (forum for awakening the voters) of Chhattisgarh.

The State president of the Nationalist Congress Party, V.C. Shukla, who recently quit the Congress, told this correspondent this evening that he had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister along with a delegation to raise the issue of denial of jobs to hundreds of youth at Bhilai who had been selected and had also undergone training.

Five of these boys had committed suicide, he added. The Prime Minister would also be urged to initiate a CBI probe into the murder of the NCP treasurer, Ramavtar Jaggi, he said.

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