Date:14/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/14/stories/2007121455821200.htm

Front Page

BJP, Congress locked in advertisement war

Manas Dasgupta

Vajpayee appeals to voters to re-elect Modi government to give a “further boost” to development of the State

In an advertisement, the BJP recalls the
attack on Parliament

Congress ad assures government employees
of “justice”

Photo: PTI

The Heat is on: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election rally in Ahmedabad. Campaign for Sunday’s polls, the second and last phase, ends on Friday. —

AHMEDABAD: As the advertisement war between the Congress and the BJP intensified with only two days left for the second phase of elections in Gujarat, the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, appeared on newspapers for the first time, appealing to voters to re-elect the Narendra Modi government.

While there was a flood of senior national leaders of both rival parties coming for campaigning, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr. Vajpayee stayed away from the heat of the electioneering.

However, an advertisement in vernacular papers showed him seeking votes for the BJP and Mr. Modi to give a “further boost” to the development of the State.

Released by the BJP’s State unit, Mr. Vajpayee’s appeal said the State people had always converted an election into an “opportunity” for development, and “I am confident that like the last time, you will again vote for a strong, determined development-oriented government.”

The advertisement claimed that Gujarat had marched on the path of progress very rapidly in the last five years of the Modi regime and its benefits had reached almost every section of society.

“It is necessary that the pace of progress is maintained for which you should vote for Mr. Modi and the BJP,” it said.

Mr. Vajpayee’s was quoted as saying that the BJP always gave priority to balanced development of all sections of society. “My appeal to you is to give one more chance to the Modi government to usher in a developed and proud Gujarat. I appeal to all sections of society to convert this into an opportunity for social equality and add a new chapter of development,” the advertisement said.

In another advertisement, the BJP recalled the attack on Parliament on this day six years ago and asked a question, “How long will you compromise with terrorism for votes?”

Without naming the Congress or the UPA government, the advertisement with a huge picture of Mr. Modi pointed out that though the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence on the main perpetrator of the attack, he was still being kept alive “for the sake of vote bank politics.”

The Congress too was not behind in the ad campaign. It inserted two quarter page advertisements, in one questioning the Chief Minister to what level he would “go down” to seek votes, and in another assuring the government employees of “justice” if the Congress is voted to power.

The advertisement accused Mr. Modi of creating “fear” among the people of Gujarat, pushing 500 farmers to commit suicide, “misleading” the poor and rural people with false promises, launching caste wars, breaking society and supporting criminals “all for the sake of power.” It said: “This is the true face of the power-hungry character.”

To exploit the dissatisfaction in a section of the government employees against the present administration, the Congress, in another advertisement, “reminded” them about the administration running as a “one-man show, treating the employees as slaves, misusing the government employees for useless programmes and functions for personal publicity, misappropriation of public funds,” and other “misbehaviour” of the Modi administration.

It promised “justice” and restoration of their “self-respect” and implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission at the earliest.

The sixth anniversary of the attack on Parliament also figured in the campaign meetings of both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Narendra Modi, each blaming the other.

While Ms. Gandhi said the perpetrators of the attack were only those who were “treated like guests” and released in Afghanistan during the NDA regime, Mr. Modi called Ms. Gandhi and the UPA government at the Centre as the “protector” of terrorists. Addressing election meetings in north and central Gujarat on Thursday, Mr. Modi said the Congress was responsible for encouraging terrorism in the country.