GANDHINAGAR: To dent the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prospects, former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Chief Pravin Togadia's newly launched Hindustan Nirman Dal (HND) will field 11 candidates in Gujarat in the Lok Sabha elections.
The HND will contest around 100 Lok Sabha seats across India, Togadia said on Monday.
The development is being seen by political pandits as a setback for the BJP, which may lose more votes to Togadia's party than the Congress.
Togadia, former international working President of the VHP and now a bete noire of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claims to have the backing of a large number of prominent people, who have joined the HND.
He said the HND will contest the elections promising appropriate price for farm produce, a loan waiver for farmers and most importantly, an ordinance to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The HND would fight for social justice and social as well as economic development, he said.
The VHP, a sister concern of the ruling BJP, has put on hold all agitations related to the Ram temple till the end of elections.
After being eased out of the VHP, Togadia formed the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), which he said would work as a social front for the Hindutva cause.
Till now, a third front in Gujarat has never succeeded but has had an impact on the prospects of both the parties, though more to the Congress. This time, it might hit the BJP more.