Date:09/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/09/stories/2008040954030400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

A 7 per cent vote swing will give us power: Moily

Special Correspondent

‘There were distortions in the voting pattern in the last elections’

BANGALORE: M. Veerappa Moily, Chairman, Administrative Reforms Commission, on Tuesday said that the Congress was sure to come to power in the State if there was a seven per cent swing in votes in the Legislative Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters, he said that the people were misguided by the Bharatiya Janata Party with its provocative campaigning and the Janata Dal (S) with its casteist approach in the last elections.

Now, that they have learnt what these two parties did when in power, he said the people would vote for the Congress to form a stable government and work for the poor.

The former Chief Minister said that there were distortions in the voting pattern of the last elections. The Congress, which registered 35.2 per cent votes, won in 65 constituencies.

However, the BJP, which polled 28.6 per cent votes, was able to win 79 seats and the Janata Dal (S) emerged victorious in 58 segments with 20 per cent votes.

This time, he said, the Congress would make up the seven per cent shortage and get a majority in the Assembly.

Interestingly, he said, the Bellary mining lobby, which played a major role in the last elections in improving the chances of the anti-Congress forces, would “finish them off”, which, in turn, would help the Congress.

Disputing the claim of the BJP that it would win on the sympathy wave, Mr. Moily said that the all-round deterioration in the quality of administration during the 20-month rule was enough to change people’s mind.