Is BJP in a fix? Top leaders take stock of the situation

Sources said that the BJP is in a fix and fears of a backlash in either situation of the Govt winning or losing trust vote.

Even as the Lok Sabha continues with its debate on the confidence motion, top leaders of BJP on Monday met in New Delhi to review the emerging political equations.

Senior party leader L K Advani, BJP chief Rajnath Singh, senior leaders Jaswant Singh, Arun Jaitley, Venkiah Naidu held discussions at the Leader of Opposition’s office in Parliament house.

Sources said the saffron party is in a fix and fears of a backlash in either situation of the government winning or losing the trust vote.

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“NDA is nowhere in the picture. If the government loses, the credit goes to Mayawati and the Third front. If it wins then Mulayam would emerge as a winner and strategist,” a leader of one of the NDA constituents said.

In the BJP camp, leaders fear that UPA losing the vote would certainly be a booster for Mayawati camp but if the government wins the trust vote, BJP would be accused by parties like BSP of conniving with the Congress to bail them out, sources added.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statement that the government still enjoys majority in the House is also seen as a reason by the NDA camp to believe that the assertion is bound to force the ‘fence sitters’ to favour the UPA camp.

However, the party said that the situation is in their favour.

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“Today’s meeting was a routine one of the senior leaders with the Leader of the Opposition. The numbers are in our favour and the country wants this government out of business at the earliest. BJP has no role in the confidence motion and the results too would have no bearing on our preparations for polls,” a party leader said.