BJP focus on Assembly polls,

BJP focus on Assembly polls,
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, JAN 4: In a show of aggression, BJP president Bangaru Laxman today said the party should begin identifying potential allies in the States where Assembly elections are due shortly and ``can even bid'' for power, either on its own or along with its allies and friendly parties.

``We have to analyse the political situation and put together effective strategies for these States. Where necessary, we have to begin the exercise of identifying potential allies,'' Laxman said, in his address to the two-day national executive that began today.

``In the States that are going to the polls, we have immense opportunities to increase our strength substantially, and in some States we can even bid for power either on our own or along with our allies and friendly parties,'' he said.

His remarks on bidding for power assume significance in the context of the coming elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, where BJP is a junior ally of regional parties.

Laxman said the morale of party workers must be kept high so that they could face the challenge effectively and ``from now onwards we have to redouble our efforts''.

He accused the Opposition of attempting to ``throw a spanner'' in the implementation of the NDA agenda by raising the Ayodhya issue, but was confident that ``our partners in the NDA will carry on the good work conforming to the Coalition Dharma''.

Laxman said the party had successfully blunted the ``false and vicious propoganda'' of rivals to separate the weaker sections, especially the minorities, from the BJP.

``We have been able to remove the long-standing misconceptions about us. The response of these sections to our call has been overwhelming.......this is a significant development,'' he said.

He said the Prime Minister's ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir has achieved initial success and ``inaugurated'' a new era in the efforts to bring peace there. ``The party fully stands by this initiative of the Prime Minister,'' he said.

Noting that cross-border terrorism and fundamentalist terrorism were active throughout the country, Laxman said, ``Our duty lies in being vigilant and in exposing their designs to disrupt the harmony in the society.''

Backing the economic reforms pursued by the Government, he referred to the plight of small industries and farmers and hoped that Government would take adequate measures to ensure that their interests are taken care of.

He said it was imperative that adequate attention should be given to creating infrastructure for storing, exporting and using the foodgrains for the poor and the unemployed.

On the ``unrestricted flow of cheap Chinese goods being dumped in the country,'' the BJP president said he was sure the Government shared the concern with everybody else and would take adequate measures in this regard.