BJP sees Modi repeat of Manmohan’s UPA victory of 2009 despite Rafale

The Congress president is building his campaign around alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal.
PM Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology on Saturday (Photo | PTI)
PM Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology on Saturday (Photo | PTI)

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are hopeful of a 2009-like scenario in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was the incumbent government at the time of the 2009 general elections and BJP veteran LK Advani was the saffron party’s PM face at the time. The UPA was able to win as “allegations of corruption against UPA-I didn’t find traction with the people for want of resonance with the civil society,” said a saffron party functionary.

“Despite high inflation and allegations of corruption, the Manmohan Singh government was voted back by the people. Advani led a high-decibel campaign against the then PM, but the people didn’t take note of the charges,” said another senior BJP leader.

The Congress president is building his campaign around alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal. “Unlike 2013 and early 2014, civil society largely remains muted, and, in fact, is ignoring the allegations of the Congress president.

Besides, the host of adversarial reports from Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which hit the UPA-II are also nowhere. On the contrary, the CAG’s note on Rafale is favourable to the government, which further gained credence from the Supreme Court’s ruling on the issue,” added the functionary.BJP leaders say people by-and-large will back the incumbent government this time as there is no big taint on the leadership and if the workers remain mobilised.

BJP to contest 13 seats in Jharkhand

Finally, the alliance between the BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) in Jharkhand for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, was sealed during a meeting between BJP president Amit Shah, Jharkhand BJP in-charge Mangal Pandey and AJSU Chief Sudesh Mahto on Friday. Sources revealed that the AJSU was claiming  Giridih and Hazaribagh, but BJP agreed to give up the Giridih seat.

PM lays the foundation of power project

In a pre-poll bonanza, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the proposed mega Thermal power project of two generating units at Chausa in Buxar district of Bihar on Saturday through the electronic button. The cabinet committee had approved the project for Chausa at an estimated cost of D10,439 crore. Modi said the project will boost industrialisation by generating electricity and jobs.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com