Bad Manmohanomics reason for Cong defeats: BJP

Varanasi, Apr 22: Dubbing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a 'PM with no political importance,' BJP today alleged successive defeats at the hustings for Sonia Gandhi-led party was an outcome of the ''bad economics scripted by the economist-turned-PM.'' ''Starting from defeat in Bihar and Jharkhand assembly polls to local body drubbings in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Delhi and of late loss of power in Uttarakhand and Punjab, bad economics scripted by the economist-turned-PM is responsible for the successive electoral blows to Congress,'' former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley told newspersons here.

The bad economics of Dr Singh reflected aptly in the uncontrolled price rise has been primely responsible for the Congress' defeats and the trend is likely to continue in future polls, including the ongoing UP assembly poll and elections to form new governments in BJP-governed Gujarat and Cong-ruled Goa and Himachal Pradesh, Mr Jaitley underlined.

''While BJP will emerge as frontrunner in UP, Congress is not likely to finish any better than a distant fourth in the politically crucial state,'' Mr Jaitley claimed.

He went on to stay that the latent fragility in the Congress and the UPA will come to the fore after the UP election.

Not going into nuts and bolts about a clear cut majority for BJP in UP, Mr Jaitley said ''we will definitely be the frontrunner in UP and if we fall just short of majority mark, we will try and form government with the support of anybody except the ruling Samajawadi Party (SP), BSP or the Congress.'' Two days ago, BJP chief Rajnath Singh had said the party, in the event of falling short of majority will form the government with the support of sufficient number of Independents.

''The outcome of UP poll will catapult BJP back to the centrestage of national politics. Wins in Goa, Gujarat and Himchal Pradesh will not only elevate the party's stature further, but also result in many UPA partners bidding farewell to ruling coalition and the Manmohan Singh government forced to stand on one leg,'' Mr Jaitley maintained.

Even in the last Lok Sabha elections, the BJP was just seven seats behind the Congress which proved the latter despite being in power is shaking from within, he said.

Starting with Jharkhand and Bihar and ending with loss of power in Himachal Pradesh next year, 10 successive defeats for the Congress will ultimately result in the Congress and UPA collapse, Mr Jaitley maintained.

UNI