Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
SOLAPUR, SEPT 4: Pramod Mahajan, under fire for reportedly drawing parallels between controversial White House intern Monica Lewinsky and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said on Friday that Sonia was welcome to play Mother Teresa in the country if she so wished.
While campaigning for Solapur BJP Lok Sabha candidate Lingraj Valyal, Mahajan, however, maintained that in no way could Sonia play the role of the country's prime minister. He was not against women and his opposition to Sonia stemmed only from her foreign origin.
``The BJP losing the vote of confidence by one vote was a God sent opportunity. The party will prove its strength with the fresh mandate,'' Mahajan said.
He pointed out that the country had been put through five Parliamentary elections since 1989, all of it adding to the soaring cost of holding elections. Had the nation been able to save on this count, several development projects would have been completed, he said.
``The Congress has no right to assure a stable government. It has ahistory of pulling down governments,'' he said. He also singled out Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, describing him as ``a good horse trader'' given to shifting loyalties.
``He (Pawar) has always preferred interests-based politics to value-based politics,'' he said.
Mahajan exuded confidence that the BJP would emerge triumphant. The indicator, he said, was the fact that people of Bellary appreciated BJP candidate Sushma Swaraj's slogan of helping the nation. Very unlike Priyanka Gandhi's appeal on behalf of her mother, he said.
There would be no further instability once the BJP and its allies were voted to power because the BJP had already assured an amendment to the Constitution which would do away with frequent elections, he said.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------