15 Nov 2002
ADVANI DOUBTS BJP'S VICTORY IN
GUJARAT
From Our Delhi Bureau
NEW DELHI:
Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani has ultimately admitted,
though indirectly, that he has his own doubts about the BJP retaining
power in Gujarat.
Apparently in view of these doubts that are
shared by many in the BJP headquarters worried at the damage
inflicted by Chief Minister Narendra Modi to the party's image of
providing the riot-free rule, Advani sought to deny any bearing of
the outcome of the Assembly elections in Gujarat on the BJP-led NDA
Government at the Centre.
Asked specifically at a Press
conference in Ranchi, the state headquarters of Jharkhand celebrating
its second year of formation, about impact of the Gujarat polls on
the Centre, Advani was quoted as snapping back that "state
elections do not have an impact on the Central government."
All
the same he stressed that the Gujarat elections are important for the
party as he said for that matter elections in a state were important
essentially because every state in the country was spread over a
large area and Gujarat was not a small area. "It is a large
state. It is an important state and has its own significance,"
he said.
Advani has been harping that the BJP would be seeking
votes on the basis of performance of its government both at the
Centre and in the state and as such his attempt to deny impact of the
Gujarat polls on the Centre only shows his own assessment not
favourable to the BJP's victory.
His remarks clearly shows
that he is not sure of the BJP winning the elections hands down as
the party leaders try to pretend pointing out that the train burning
and post-Godhra riots had polarised Hindu voters and this
polarisation will be further strengthened by the Election
Commission's ban on the religious yatra VHP was planning to take out
in Gujarat from Friday.
Advani, however, wriggled out when
asked to comment on the VHP deciding to defy the ban and even
rejecting the Prime Minister's appeal to call off the "Yatra",
pointing out that he being part of the Government would not comment
and moreover it was for the sate government to take appropriate
action.
"It is for the VHP to comment and may be for my
party to do so. I do not comment on the Election Commission decision
being a member of the government." Asked if he had talked to the
VHP in this connection, Advani said he had neither spoken to any VHP
leader nor would he like to do so. END