Sonias Entry Not To Affect Bjps Chances, Says Advani

The Bharatiya Janata Partys prospects in the coming elections will not be hampered by Sonia Gandhis decision to campaign for Congress, BJP president L K Advani said yesterday.

Her decision will not affect my partys poll prospects in any way, Advani said.

However, he refused to comment whether her decision would see a reverse exodus of those who recently left the Congress and joined the BJP.

When asked for his reaction on some minority groups wanting to start a dialogue with the BJP in a bid to dispel their fear about the party, Advani said there had been some interaction between his party and some minority organisations.

 

There has been change in the minorities perception about BJP and now there is no hostility towards us, he said.

He said minorities were feeling let down by other political parties who had used BJP as a scarecrow for their election purposes.

Advani described as motivated and mischievous reports saying there were differences between him and Vajpayee on the party aligning with regional parties like the AIADMK.

Advani claimed the entire country was in the grip of a BJP wave and leaders from various political parties were keen to have tie-ups with the party.

There is a BJP wave in the entire country and people want a BJP government at the Centre under the prime ministership of Atal Behari Vajpayee, Advani said.

He alleged that the mid-term poll had been forced on the country by leaders like Congress president Sitaram Kesri, CPM leader Harkishan Singh Surjit and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and UF convenor N Chandrababu Naidu.

The BJP president, who toured Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, thanked Mohan Babu, expelled TDP MP, for his support to BJP by campaigning for it in the state.

BJP general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu said BJP, if voted to power, would accord priority to the farming community and ridiculed allegations that his party was communal.

NTR-TDP secretary G Muddu Krishnama Naidu, state BJP president Bandaru Dattatreya, former MP P Changalraya Naidu and district BJP chief C Narasimha Reddy also spoke at the meeting.