BJP Seeks Regional Respite amid Thickening Poll Plot
After Congress and a few of its allies brooding over post poll scenario, and over a probable consensus choice for the top job in the event of non-Congress led government seeing the light of the day, a ruffled BJP finally flung open its doors to explore possibilities of a post poll alliance, with senior leader Arun Jaitley saying that the party it was flexible on support from regional parties to form a government at the Centre.
“I would not like to disclose our strategies at this juncture. One has to be flexible in this (seeking support from regional parties) matter,” Jaitley said.
It should be noted that the political developments taken place this past week – third front considering Mayavati for the top job, then UPA allies coining Pawar’s name for the rank to win Left parties backing, then some Congressmen seconding Pranab Mukherjee instead of Manmohan Singh for prime ministerial post to lead a alliance with communits’ support – in a way have been suggesting a trend that shows Congress gaining over BJP as far as chances of forming next government are concerned.
There has been no identical attempt from the BJP to fill public memory with picture of its leaders genuinely discussing the shape and size of the next government, and now it most probably wants to make up for that, eying remaining three phases of elections.
Following the same line, Jaitely, in a tête-à-tête with media persons, even hoped that many partners leaving UPA may join NDA after the polls and that Naveen Patnaik-led BJD would realise its mistake of breaking ties with BJP once the election results are out on May 16.
Contrary to leading political analysts’ view, Jaitley see a low percentage of voting in two of the five phases of the Lok Sabha polls as a cause of concern for the Congress party as the track record of BJP and its NDA partners is much higher, with more than 80 per cent of votes polled in favour of the lotus party and other non-Congress parties, as he put it.
