'BJP will provide third alternative in Asom'

Guwahati, Mar 27: BJP President Rajnath Singh today (Mar 27, 2006) said his party will provide the 'third alternative' that the people of Asom were looking for.

Addressing mediapersons here, Mr Singh said people have lost confidence in the Congress and Asom Gana Parishad and were searching for a third alternative.

Exuding confidence that the BJP would be voted to power in the coming Assembly elections, he said, ''We are confident that BJP will get the requisite mandate to shun the divisive forces in the state.'' Mr Singh accused the Congress of following a 'minority appeasement policy' and trying to bring in the scrapped IM(DT) Act through amendments in the Foreigners Act.

He added that the unabated Bangladeshi infiltration into the state had created serious demographic imbalance.

He said, ''Asom needs a Chief Minister with strong will-power and only BJP could provide one, as it was the single largest secular party in the country''.

The BJP President claimed that the Congress's support base all-over the country was waning as the party had failed to clarify its stand on a host of allegations.

He pointed out that the Congress had not yet clarified its stand on induction of tainted MPs in the Union Cabinet,the Volcker issue and the defreezing of Mr Quattrochi's bank accounts.

Stating the rampant corruption as the main reason for the hike in prices of essential commodities, Mr Singh alleged that they shoot up whenever the Congress is in power while remain under control during BJP's rule.

He also played down the issue of Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi's resignation.

BJP leader Pramod Mahajan was also present in the press meet.

UNI