BJYM Youth Rally at Bhubaneshwar
UPA government unlikely
to last full term: Advaniji
By Our Correspondent

BJP President Shri Lal Krishna Advani has said that he has serious doubts whether the UPA government at the Centre could survive its full term or not. He said while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in the driver's seat, the accelerator was with the Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi and the brakes were with the Left.

Shri Advani was addressing a mammoth "Yuva Jagruti Samavesh Rally" in Bhubaneshwar ( Orissa ).

Expressing satisfaction over the massive gathering he said, "In my entire five decade long political career I have never seen such a huge rally of party youth". A visibly happy Advaniji was all praise for BJYM National President Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and State BJYM President Shri Bhrugu Baxipatra for their success in mobilising youth in Orissa.

Drawing a parallel between Jana Sangha rally held in Goraksha five decade back and the BJYM rally in Bhubaneshwar, Shri Advani said it brought back the memories of that old rally, as both the rallies had enthusiastic party workers thronging the narrow streets.

In spite of BJP's defeat in Lok Sabha polls, said Shri Advani "the party has been successful in making development the core issue in all political discourses. Referring to recently concluded Bihar elections, Shri Advani said Lalu Prasad Yadav's defeat to NDA in Bihar assembly polls had sent a clear signal that voters were more concerned about development, rejecting casteist or communal agenda. Accusing the Congress party of double standards on Volcker reports, Shri Advani said, "One standard for Natwar Singh and another for Sonia does not make any sense. He reiterated BJP's demand for Sonia Gandhi's resignation from the post of UPA Chairperson as the Congress party like Natwar Singh has also been named as one of the non-contractual beneficiaries in Volcker report.

Prominent among those who addressed the gathering were Chhattishgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh, former union minister Shri Shahanwaz Hussain, party secretary Shri K. Haribabu, BJYM National Vice President Shri Sanjeev Chourasia, popular TV star and BJP national executive member Smriti Z Irani, BJP Orissa State President Joal Oram, party MP Kharavela Swain, party Spokesperson Nayan Kishore Mohanty, party Secretary Prithviraj Harichandan. Senior ministers in the State government Shri Biswa Bhusan Harichandan and Shri Manmohan Samal also addressed the rally.

The State BJYM campaign centred around the UPA Government's apathy to Orissa. As party MP and BJYM president Dharmendra Pradhan put it, "I am least bothered who becomes Minister in Congress-led government at New Delhi, but the people in Orissa certainly have a right to know why Orissa is not given representation in the Congress led government at the Centre.

4The Congress party has failed in Orissa time and again. Elaborating this failure of the Congress BJYM leaders said the National Institute of Science sanctioned for Orissa by NDA regime has been taken away to West Bengal under Left pressure. "As long as this decision is not withdrawn, our struggle will continue" asserted Shri Bhrigu Baxipatra.

The BJYM leaders challenged the love of UPA for 'aam admi' of Orissa as the kerosene quota for the State was drastically reduced. BJYM also demanded revamping of the employment exchanges network in the State. Keeping in view the long term perspective, BJYM wanted the Orissa government to formulate a State policy on youth and employment.