UP will be a real challenge for BJP: Vaidya

Nagpur, Mar 4: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue M GVaidya, noting the victory of the BJP in the recent Assembly electionsin Punjab and Uttarakhand was in ''small states'', said the realchallenge will be the forthcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh because thatoutcome would have a bearing on the shape of things to come in thecountry's politics.

In his weekly column in local Marathi daily 'Tarun Bharat' today,Mr Vaidya said Uttarakhand has a population of barely 4.50 lakh, 70seats in its Assembly and five seats in the Lok Sabha whereas Punjabhas a population of 2.44 crore, 117 seats in its Assembly and 13 seatsin the Lok Sabha. By contrast, UP has a population of 16.62 crore, 405seats in its Assembly and 80 seats in the Lok Sabha.

''Therefore, the elections in UP were very important because thestate accounted for 15 per cent of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha,'' MrVaidya said. The political picture in the entire country would changeif the BJP succeeded in the forthcoming Assembly elections in UP, headded.

However, the ideologue underscored that to win in UP, the BJP mustbecome disciplined and faction-free party with a difference that had acohesive team of activists. It must also give candidates with a goodbackground, the former RSS spokesman said.

Without naming the BJP, Mr Vaidya said only then could it avoidthe compromises that it made in 1999 in spite of having 182 members inthe Lok Sabha (while forming a coalition government at the Centre).This was contrary to the usual practice wherein the weaker element in apartnership made compromises, he added.

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