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'The next Parliament will be predominantly anti-Congress'

May 1, 2009

What about the Varun Gandhi issue?

Every election witnesses such issues where some speech sparks debate, but then you are back in the business of real issues. As I said the economy, security and leadership are the real issues. In UP these three are the real issues along with Mayawati's arrogance. Varun's detention under the National Security Act is a part of that arrogance and her corrupt regime is also an issue.

It is almost certain that there will be a hung Parliament. In such a situation the BJP stands to lose over the issue of secularism.

If you go by this argument we may look handicapped. But in most states, parties occupying the non-Congress space are going to do better. And these parties cannot afford to lose this space by going with Congress at the Centre. These regional parties are in direct conflict with the Congress.

By joining the Congress at the Centre they will lose their base within their respective states.

There are only two ways that a non-BJP government can be formed in the Centre. One, a Congress government being formed supported by these regional parties or a Third Front government supported by the Congress. In both situations, non-Congress state level parties will have to do political business with the Congress. That's not a happy situation.

So the cost involved will be somewhere akin to the cost being paid by the Left parties, where they will reduce from 62 to somewhere in the range of 35 seats.

If Indian regional parties are ready to pay a price to form a Congress government at the Centre by allowing the shrinking of their own size in their respective states, then I can tell you that the BJP's long-term gain is immense.

I will not disclose our strategy, but obviously the strategy is based on the fact that the character of the next Parliament will be predominantly anti-Congress.

Image: BJP activist Varun Gandhi's arrest under the National Security Act shows Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's arrogance, alleges Arun Jaitley. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters.

Also see: 'My father is the toughest person I know' | India Votes
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