Karnataka   

Manmohan’s remarks show Congress has conceded defeat in Gujarat: Sinha

DAVANGERE: The Bharatiya Janata Party has argued that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has conceded the Congress’s defeat in Gujarat by stating that the BJP has hurriedly announced the prime ministerial candidature of L. K. Advani with a fear that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will become a threat to its leadership.

Speaking to The Hindu, BJP national vice-president Yashwant Sinha said the Prime Minister’s statement showed that he believes that Mr. Modi would emerge victorious in the Gujarat elections and hence would become a threat. “If you go by the logic, only a victorious Modi can be a threat. That means Mr. Singh is confident of Mr. Modi’s victory,” he said. But he hastened to add that there was no threat perception.

Mr. Sinha made it clear that the projection of Mr. Advani as the prime ministerial candidate was not a hurriedly made decision. But this was in progress for some time in the party. “The decision has been made at the right time,” he said.

He maintained that it was wrong to link Mr. Advani’s projection as prime ministerial candidate with the Gujarat elections or elections to any State Assembly. The decision regarding prime ministerial candidate has been made as there is a possibility of elections being held for the Lok Sabha any time, he said.

However, Mr. Sinha was confident that new status of Mr. Advani would have a positive impact on the party’s performance in the elections to the Karnataka Assembly.

Meanwhile, on the first day of its meeting, the BJP state executive, which was attended by 224 members, resolved to pressure the Central Election Commission to hold elections to the State Assembly in February as examinations for various courses would be scheduled in March.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Celebration time
Celebration
Dies in accident
Scheme for landless farm workers yet to take off
13 activists arrested
An example worth emulating
‘Games essential for positive attitude’
Yeddyurappa to be BJP’s chief ministerial candidate
Manmohan’s remarks show Congress has conceded defeat in Gujarat: Sinha
‘Poverty of leadership in UPA’
Stray dog bites girl
Additional oil jetty at NMP recommended
Water adalat

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu