Fortune lies with change in J

Rajouri, Nov 19 (UNI) Only a change can bring cheers to the people of militancy-torn Jammu and Kashmir, former Himachal Pradesh Chief minister and BJP's leading campaigner in the state Shanta Kumar said today.

Citing Himachal Pradesh as an example where people favoured change in the government, he said, '' The states witnessing change in the government have seen development in India'' Addressing a public gathering in connection with the November 23 polls in this bordering district, the BJP leader appealed to the voters to have a look on one soaring prices and corruption before making a decision.

Mr Kumar, BJP's Jammu and Kashmir election incharge, lambasted on the Congress for its failure in checking the price rise and providing basic amenities to common masses.

''Keeping a check on price rise is no big deal but the Congress government has promoted corruption which is root cause of this problem,'' Mr Kumar said while emphasising on the low inflation rate during Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.

Defining India as ''a rich country with poor people'', he expressed concern over the rising gap between poor and affluent class.

''It were nothing but wrong policies of the Congress government due to which people voted it out in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Uttar Pradesh,'' the senior BJP leader said.

He appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to go for a change to let the change happen in their life, a s entire country was looking at them.

Mr Kumar, who was campaigning for BJP candidate Vibhod Gupta, however, refrained from the much-hyped Amarnath land controversy and the issue of discrimination to Jammu at the hands of Kashmiri leadership during his speech.

The BJP, which had won only one Assembly seat in 2002, is riding on the sentiments of the people attached to the Amarnath land row and resentment against successive state governments for discrimination.

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