Statement issued by BJP National Vice President
Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

New Delhi, 01 December 2007: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would commence the campaign on 2nd and 5th December for the second round of polls in the states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh respectively, with over 250 meetings, rallies and programmes.

BJP National Vice President and In-Charge of its Central Election Management and Coordination Commitee, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said that for the second-round fight for the 95 seats in Gujarat and 65 seats in Himachal, the Party would reach out to all corners of these states with its message of “nationalism”.

Shri Naqvi said that while the campaigning for the second-round of polls is planned with over 200 events, the campaign for the first-round of polls, that started on 27 November, is featuring about 135 meetings.

He said that while on 2nd December, the Party's senior leader Shri Lal Krishna Advani would start the campaign from Pattan and Mehsana, Party President Shri Rajnath Singh would launch his electoral missles from the source of the Narmada at Sabarkantha and Sarkhej in Ahmedabad. The Party's former President Shri Venkiah Naidu would visit Kheda and Vadodara, and Shrimati Sushma Swaraj would provide the edge to the campaign in Godhra, Nadiad and Ahmedabad. Chief Minister Narendra Modi would address rallies in the south Gujarat locations of Ahwa, Dharampur, Surat, and Ankleshwar. Alongside the Party's senior leaders Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Arun Jaitley, Anant Kumar, Vinay Katiyar, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minster Shivraj Chauhan, Rajasthan Cheif Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindhia, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Shri Sushil Modi, Gopinath Munde, former Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda, S S Ahluwalia, Kalraj Mishra, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha, over 40 national leaders and 30 local leaders would herald the campaign in each corner of Gujarat.

Shri Naqvi further said that on similar lines, on 5th December, the Party is starting its campaign for the second-round polls of 65 seats with the slogan of “Bhrastachar Mukt-Vikas Yukt” Himachal.

In Himachal, while Party senior leader Shri Lal Krishna Advani would kick-off the campaign from Kullu, Party President Shri Rajnath Singh would launch an aggressive campaign from Solan. Party senior leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi would hold meetings in Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district. Former Party President Shri Venkiah Naidu would be in Hamirpur, and star campaigner Shrimati Sushma Swaraj would expose the corruption and misgovernance of the Congress government in Nurpur. Senior leaders Shri Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal would also address various meetings.

In both Gujarat and Himachal, senior leaders would hold round-the-clock meetings to keep up the aggression and pace of the campaign. For instance, Party senior leader Shri Lal Krishna Advani would be spending 6 days in Guajrat and 4 days in Himachal. Party President Rajnath Singh would devote 7 days in Gujarat and 5 days in Himachal. Dr Joshi would spend 4 days in Gujarat and 3 days in Himachal. Venkiah Naidu would be 4 days in Gujarat and 3 days in Himachal. Similarly, Sushma Swaraj would spend 6 days in Gujarat and 4 days in Himachal. Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Bhuban Chand Khanduri, along with all the Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers and senior leaders would constantly be on the campaign trail in Gujarat and Himachal. MP and cine star Shatrughan Sinha would spend 3 days in Gujarat and 3 days in Himachal. Shrimati Hema Malini would address meetings on 3 days in Gujarat and 3 days in Himachal. Punjab Chief Minister Shri Prakash Singh Badal would also carry out campaigns for BJP candidates in Himachal.

Shri Naqvi said that the poll strategy for both the states is ready. To oversee the poll arrangements, Party volunteers and whole-time workers have also been sent from other states.

Shri Naqvi said that in Gujarat development and good governance is the significant issue. And the main slogan is “Jitega Gujarat”. In Himachal, the main issue on which the polls would be fought is bad governance and corruption, with the main slogan being “Bhrastachar Mukt-Vikas Yukt” Himachal. Slogans like “Raja Rani Malamaal – Janata Chautarfa Behaal” and “Bhrast Raja Chaupat Raj” were coined to counter the poor record and corruption charges against the Congress government of Himachal.

(Shyam Jaju)
Headquarter Incharge