'BJP gain in UP thanks to Cong position on minorities'

'This is the vote against the Congress's Muslim appeasement policy. The OBCs in Uttar Pradesh has understood how the Congress to gain Muslim votes wants to give away a pie of the quota, which is legitimately theirs,' a senior BJP leader tells Sheela Bhatt.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has sprung a surprise in Uttar Pradesh and the results have come as a shock to its party leaders in New Delhi as well.

A senior BJP leader, who advised party President Nitin Gadkari to devise the strategy for the all-important Uttar Pradesh election, told Rediff.com, "This is the reaction to a man called Digvijay Singh. I have not an iota of doubt that people have reacted to 4.5 per cent reservations (for the minorities). The OBCs (Other Backward Classes) have backed the BJP."

The Election Commission had directed the Centre to put on hold the decision the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities in the five election-bound states till the electoral process ends.

"Since we have won, let the secularists not try to twist the results," the BJP leader said. "This is the vote against the Congress's Muslim appeasement policy. The OBCs in Uttar Pradesh has understood how the Congress to gain Muslim votes wants to give away a pie of the quota, which is legitimately theirs."

He was jubilant, but surprised at the same time. "We expected 70 to 80 seats, but now we won't be surprised if we get above 100. (Congress General Secretary) Digvijay Singh should introspect the dangerous politics he has been playing."

On February 23, Rediff.com had reported how the Uttar Pradesh results will further weaken the United Progressive Alliance.

"The BJP is hoping that the UP results should be such that it will help the Opposition parties weaken the Centre," the senior BJP leader said. "Instead of winning in UP impressively, the BJP aims to use the outcome in Lucknow to hit the Congress hard in New Delhi."

The BJP wants to exploit the UPA's fragility. The idea is that if Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's enormous efforts and the Congress's monetary clout does not get that party a respectable number of seats in UP, then the combined power of the non-Congress parties will give them a political edge to plan an assault in the Lok Sabha during the upcoming Budget session.

Another big gain for the BJP will come about if the Bahujan Samaj Party, BJP, anti-Samajwadi Party and anti-Congress candidates and parties get around 210 seats in the UP election. Then there is no way that the Samajwadi Party and the Congress can form a government, even if the Congress changes its mind and extends support to the Samajwadi Party from the outside.