NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia's reference to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as a "bitch from Italy" may have transcended all borders of decency, but it is part of a larger game plan, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader said on Monday.
"Leaders in the government are wincing in embarrassment over Togadia's choice of words... But the fact remains that political pot-shots against the Congress chief will henceforth increase," he told rediff.com on condition of anonymity.
He said the BJP leadership is convinced that the next general election will be chiefly fought between Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and Sonia.
"For obvious reasons, many among us don't relish the Congress chief's (ascendant) political graph. We view her as our chief political foe. It is likely that our attack against her will escalate in the coming days," he said.
He refused to comment on Advani's statement that the BJP will fight the next general election under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership.
"It is our view that the deputy prime minister is the best and most-suited among our party leaders to take on the Congress chief in the next elections. This feeling has gained ground and even [the constituents of] the Sangh Parivar are veering around to this view," he said.
He dismissed the criticism of the government by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and VHP leaders as "some soul-searching within the family not designed to disunite us".
Asked how Advani can lead the BJP in the next polls when Vajpayee is hale and hearty, he said, "Consensus is the key."
"All factors have to be taken into consideration for the next polls and what will clinch the issue is the totality of the prevailing political picture," he said, adding that the deputy prime minister is hyper-active both within the party and the government.
He indicated that the BJP is "fully alive" to the possibility of some allies within the National Democratic Alliance walking out during the next polls.
"I can tell you that if some NDA allies have been critical of the government and shown discordant tendencies, we are not in the dark. There are always contingency plans. If some allies walk out of the alliance, there are others who will come in," he asserted.
He identified the Samata Party and the Janata Dal-United as the parties that are not in tune with the BJP. The Bahujan Samaj Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam "could step into their shoes", he said.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
