NDA will secure 300 Lok Sabha seats, BJP president Rajnath Singh says
BJP president Rajnath Singh on Friday ruled out the possibility of a post-poll alliance and exuded confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would secure 300 Lok Sabha seats.
Speaking to reporters ahead of an election rally at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, he said, “We are fully confident that the BJP-led NDA will cross this magic number — 272. We expect that the NDA will get approximately 300 Lok Sabha seats,” he said.
Asked if a post-poll alliance with the AIADMK would be possible in the wake of the recent attacks and counter-attacks by Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Rajnath said, “There will be no further alliance after polls. We are fully confident and we will get a clear and comfortable majority.”
Asked about the invidious comparison of development in Tamil Nadu and the Gujarat, Rajnath said the Gujarat development was not a myth because the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation headed by Sonia Gandhi appreciated the developments in Gujarat in 2008.
He said the BJP-led NDA alliance had emerged as a major political force in the state. “In Tamil Nadu, the political power has been changing hands between the DMK and the AIADMK. Now, the BJP-led NDA with five political parties has emerged as a major political force in Tamil Nadu. Definitely, this alliance will provide an alternative to the people of Tamil Nadu and the alliance will win 20 seats in the state,” said Rajnath.
Rajnath accused both the DMK and the AIADMK of indulging in political vendetta. He said both parties were not concerned about the state’s development.
“Due to lack of development in Tamil Nadu, unemployment is very high. There is no room for good governance and development because the DMK and the AIADMK believe in vendetta. Until Tamil Nadu is freed from the clutches of the DMK and the AIADMK, the people in the state will continue to suffer,” he said. The BJP president said his party would launch skill development programmes for the youth.
On Jayalalithaa’s recent accusation that the BJP was biased on the Cauvery issue, he said the issue would be resolved by dialogue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Rajnath said a BJP-led government at the Centre would address the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. “The UPA government lacks diplomatic skills in handling sensitive issues like the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. The BJP believes that the provision of devolution of power and the political settlements are crucial for the bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and India. The dialogue between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Nadu government is very crucial for the peace process. The BJP believes that the Sri Lankan government should create conducive atmosphere for resumption of dialogues and we will work after coming to power at the Centre,” said Rajnath.
“We are also concerned about the fishermen in Tamil Nadu. The security and the safety of the fishermen is also a major issue of concern for the BJP-led NDA. We will definitely discover new methods to minimize the risks to our fishermen community. We have already decided that if the BJP-led NDA will come to power, we will form a national fishermen commission to resolve the major issues of fishermen not only in Tamil Nadu but in other states also,” Rajnath said when he was asked about the continuing attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Calling the UPA an ‘unprogressive alliance,’ Rajnath said, “UPA’s governance is a governance of misrule. The BJP has announced Modi as prime ministerial candidate, but the Congress remains like a ship without captain. Rahul Gandhi is most a visible face in the campaign. But his unimpressive performance compelled Congress president Sonia Gandhi to come forward to defend his son,” he said
Commenting on the allegations that the country will be divided if Modi becomes prime minister, Rajnath said, “Gujarat has not been divided in the 12 years of Modi’s rule, and how will anyone expect that India will be divided if Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister. All the allegations are false. The Congress at this time is very desperate.
(Source:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/NDA-will-secure-300-Lok-Sabha-seats-BJP-president-Rajnath-Singh-says/articleshow/33918083.cms)