Sonia won’t affect BJP chances

NAGPUR, Jan 25: Sonia Gandhi's entry into active politics would only be a threat to the established leadership of the Congress, like Maratha...

NAGPUR, Jan 25: Sonia Gandhi’s entry into active politics would only be a threat to the established leadership of the Congress, like Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar, and not its rival, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was the considered view of Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde.

Talking to mediapersons here on Saturday, Munde asserted that Sonia’s entry would not affect the prospects of the BJP in the coming mid-term Lok Sabha elections.

He dismissed Congress’ claim that there was a crowd of five lakh people at Sonia’s meeting in Nandurbar yesterday. `There was a crowd of hardly 80,000 to see Rajiv’s widow at Nandurbar. I am giving you the figure as the Home Minister of the State,” he quipped.

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According to him, the Congress would not be able to take advantage of Sonia’s plunge into politics in the coming elections as the party had lost its credibility. Besides, some Congressmen would not allow Sonia to grow in view of the threat to their leadership, he said.

The senior BJP leader who returned here today from the tribal district of Gadchiroli after a two-day election campaign said he got a tremendous response in the region. “The Sena-BJP alliance will improve its position in the coming elections. We will get at least 40 seats this time as the people are responding to our slogan of a stable and clean government,” he said. He added that the possible triangular and multi-corner fight would also benefit the Sena-BJP alliance.

The quitting of the sitting Lok Sabha member from Beed, Rajni Patil and Banwarilal Purohit from Nagpur, would not affect the party’s poll prospects in the 1998 elections. Regarding the Pune Lok Sabha seat, Munde said the BJP had already extended its support to Suresh Kalmadi, who is contesting the elections as an independent. The dispute between Kalmadi and Sena supremo Bal Thackeray would be sorted out and a formal announcement would be made in this regard on January 27 next. Thackeray has insisted that Kalmadi should contest the seat as a BJP nominee. If the former Congress Lok Sabha member tries to contest as an independent and seeks BJP support, Sena will field its nominee to counter his candidature, threatened the Sena chief.

He said the pro-Hindu party was in favour of small states, including separate statehood for Vidarbha. He admitted that the Gujral government had asked nuclear scientist Dr A P J Kalam to review the leasing out of virgin coal blocks to Ispat Group near Bhadrawati, adjacent to the Ordnance Factory.Guardian Minister for Nagpur district Nitin Gadkari, Minister of State for Forests and Labour Vinod Gudadhe-Patil, Anil Sole and other BJP leaders were also present during the press briefing.

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Munna Yadav, an active leader of National Students Union of India and Youth Congress joined the BJP along with his supporters.