NEW DELHI: Hindutva will be the BYP”s mascot in the coming elections with the party projecting itself as “the lone challenger” to the Congress under the leadership of veteran leader Atal Behari Vajpayee, BJP president LK. Advani announced. _ Addressing the press after the first session of the Central Election Committee’s two day meet to finalize poll preparations and candidates lists, Advani emphasized that the BJP ‘will contest the elections on its own manifesto and aims to get 2 clear majority. He said that a broad consensus had emerged on seal adjustments with other parties in some: states but even here, the party would go to the people with its own agenda.
* He refused to divulge details of the tie-ups under discussion, saying that they would be wrapped up soon after which a formal announcement would be made. ‘The first list of BJP candidates will be released on March 27 before the Election Commission issues the notification for elections. The Central election Committee will meet again soon to finalize the names of the rest ‘of the candidates, Advani said. The BJP intends to contest 475 parliamentary seats. Expressing confidence that the party will retain the 119 seats it won in 1991, Advani said that in view of the political changes that have taken place in five states over the past five years, the balance has shifted in favor of the BJP in at least 160 more seats. “This gives us clear space to take a big leap forward in the coming elections and we hope to maximize on this,” he declared. He identified these states as Maharashtra and Rajasthan, where the party is in power, and Madhva Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar, where the party is the main Opposition.
Dwelling on the response he received during the 15day rath yatra through nine states, the BJP President said the people were yearning for a change and were disillusioned with the Congress, Change will thus be the main slogan during the campaign, he said.
The party’s general secretary, Venkaiah Naidu, who accompanied Advani on the yatra, disclosed that the five issues on which Advani received the maximum applause from the people were, in order of appeal, the BJP”s response to the hawala scandal, the promise to construct a Ram temple at Ayodhya, the projection of ‘Vajpayee as Prime Minister, national security and the plight of the farmers.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 27, 1996
