Advani smells victory for BJP

By Kajol Singh

BJP's prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani smelt victory for his party in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and said the mood of the people indicated that they have already decided to vote for a change.

Advani, who began his journey on Sunday to conquer Delhi, was in a belligerent mood. Addressing a huge 'Rastra Raksha Rally' full of enthusiastic audience at Maharana Pratap Inter-College ground, just five kilometre from the powerful Baba Gorakhnath Peeth in Gorakhpur, the heart of rugged Poorvanchal, the former Deputy Prime Minister said the plight of 'Aam Admi' has increased under the UPA that has been shedding tears for 'Aam Admi'.

Earlier, addressing the rally party national president Rajnath Singh declared that the party never drifted away from its ideology, political philosophy and agenda. Construction of a magnificent temple at Ayodhya continued to be in the party's priority list. Only a week ago Rajnath Singh during the Nagpur conclave had announced that the party would return to Ayodhya as an emotional election issue and promised a grand temple would be built at Ayodhya

The show that marked the beginning of Advani's campaign for Delhi was organised by Hindutava poster-boy Yogi Adityanath, the sitting MP who has been trying to shift the focus from Ayodhya to Gorakhpur. He did it finally.

Advani said it pains to see how ineffective the present UPA Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is. Of all the Prime Ministers since Jawaharlal Nehru he was the weakest Prime Minister. This is the government of Sonia Gandhi, not of Manmohan Singh, he said. Advani asked why kisans (farmers) commit suicide in the non-BJP ruled states.

He also ripped apart the 'propaganda' to project Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as anti-Muslim. This, he said, was the result of the disinformation and malicious campaign against Modi by the opponents. He said he wanted to inform Muslims, if they are present, that per capita income of Muslims in Gujarat was higher than those brethrens who lived in other states.

He promised if BJP was voted to power it would ensure 'Har haath Ko Kaam, Har Khet ko Pani'. The BJP government would usher the country into Information revolution as everyone get free Internet Connection.

Raising slogan like BJP jite ga to Bharat Jite ga' and if India wins, its ancient glory would be restored, he said despite economic blockade imposed by America and other European countries in the aftermath of the Nuclear Test, India had marched ahead on economic and other fronts.

BJP general secretary Arun Jaitely, Incharge of UP affairs, said UP needed a moral and cultural revolution. Samajvadi Party and BSP are not only regional outfits but these parties are led by the leaders who are facing corruption cases.

The rally in Gorakhpur and its timing were significant. The party desperate to make an impact in the coming Lok Sabha polls and conquer Indraprasth has in the process created a larger than life image of Yogi Adityanath, the controversial saffron leader in the Eastern region, which was once the birthplace of political Mafia gangs. Two years ago Yogi Adityanath was arrested and jailed on the charges of inciting communal violence.

Baba Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur is a highly revered religious institution with huge following in India and Nepal.

Yogi and the BJP had been at war occasionally in a bid to prove supremacy and it had reached a new high when in 2002 Assembly elections he not only set up his own candidates against the official nominees but also ensured their victory. Against when Yogi had raised his banners of revolt on the eve of 2007 polls Venkiah Naidu and Gopinath Munde had to rush to Gorakhpur to tame him.

As Yogi established himself as a force to reckon with, the leadership chose Gorakhpur to begin Advani's journey to prime ministership.