BJP is only antidote to 'poison' of Congress: Shahnawaz Hussain

Asserting that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the only antidote to the 'poison' of the Congress, party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the United Progressive Alliance-II (UPA) government, calling its four years of governance as four dark years.

Addressing media on the final day of the BJP conclave in Goa, Hussain said: "We have stressed on the four years of UPA's misrule in our political resolution. Congress should beg the people for forgiveness for its four years of misrule".

"Congress has spread the dirt, that is why we are saying we will spread 'amrith' with the symbol that signifies our party," he added.

He further accused the Centre of having two power centres.

"The UPA has two power centres, one is known as the government and the other 10, Janpath (Sonia Gandhi's official residence) ...and there is conflict between the two."

Hussain also denied that there was a rift in the party with regards to L.K Advani.

"Advaniji has fought against the Congress all his life through his articles, statements etc and it will continue", he said.

85-year-old Advani has cited 'ill health' as the reason for not attending the meeting in Panaji.

Advani's absence from the office bearer's meeting in Goa has given a clear indication that he is upset with the proposal of making Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi the face of the party's poll campaign panel. There are even reports in the media quoting him, as insisting that Rajnath Singh should take key party decisions only in his presence.

Some senior BJP leaders are also opposed to Modi being projected as the party's foremost leader. Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Uma Bharti, Maneka Gandhi, Varun Gandhi and Shatrughan Sinha are also not attending the Goa conclave.

Modi's detractors fear that his elevation as chief of the party's election committee is just one step away from him being declared the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.