HVK Archives: BJP to strengthen party in south and east
BJP to strengthen party in south and east - Times of India
News Service
()
4 June 1996
Title : BJP plan moves to strengthen party presence
in southern, eastern states
Author : News Service
Publication : Times of India
Date : June 4, 1996
Having identified its weak areas, mainly in southern and
eastern states, the Bharatiya janata Party has started
exploring the possibilities of realignment of forces.
The party feels that mid-term polls are inevitable and
the formation of the new government at the Centre is a
"fragile artangement."
The party's strategy in the next general elections would
be to retain whatever it has gained in northern and
western states and increase its base in states where its
presence is marginal.
"Our main task now is to strengthen the party in the
south and eastern states so that we are able to get a
clear majority in the next elections," party general
secretary Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.
She said in the next elections there would be total
polarisation and it would be BJP vs the rest. The party
is exploring the possibilities of having alliance with
regional parties in the south and eastern states on the
lines of its adjustment with the Haryana Vikas Party in
Haryana and the Samata Party in Bihar.
The party said that the political scenario in the country
has undergone a change with the installation of the
United Front government. "Earlier there was a single
party government and a fragmented opposition. Now the
situation has reversed and there is a fragmented
government and a single opposition."
Commenting on the new government, Ms Swaraj said, "Even
if you call it a government, it will be a direction-less
government. The two inherent contradictions in the new
government are the prime minister's commitment to
continuation of economic liberalisation and the CPI
joining the UF government. She visualised a cabinet
where the communists and others would be pulling the
government in two different directions on the economic
front. "While finance minister P. Chidambaram will be
advocating openness in the economy, the Communists will
be pulling the reins and the consequences for the nation
would be dangerous," she added.
Since collective responsibility forces both the
communists and non-communists to shoulder the
responsibility, "uncertainty and confusion" will be the
two special features of the UF government, she said.
Asked what will happen to the President's address after
the fall of the BJP government, she said the address
automatically "lapses." She said according to the
constitution, the President can address Parliament from
time to time.
On the crisis in the Gujarat unit of the BJP, the party
general secretary said there was no reason for taking any
action now against those who had indulged in indiscipline
since the Maha-Gujarat Asmita Manch formed by the rebels
have been dissolved.
The party said if it gets a clear majority in the next
elections, it would implement its manifesto completely
and there was no question of diluting it. Party
functionary said, "we had only postponed our commitments
of issues like abrogation of Article 370, uniform civil
code and construction of Ayodhya temple because of
constraints of a coalition government."
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