BJP will replace Cong at Centre in 2009: Advani

Lucknow, Oct 28: Predicting Lok Sabha polls early next year, senior BJP leader L K Advani today said the party stood a good chance to replace the Congress at the Centre as the latter would face the strong anti-incumbency current.

''Congress-led UPA has sent the nation into political instability which would be a major factor against them in the next Parliament polls,'' he said, while speaking at the concluding session of two-day Uttar Pradesh BJP State Working Committee meeting.

Comparing the scenario in Uttar Pradesh to the one the Centre, Mr Advani said just as the Mayawati-led BSP came to power riding the crest of anti-incumbency against the previous SP regime, the BJP would be the clear winner in Lok Sabha polls.

Dismissing the BSP's claim of social engineering having come into play in UP assembly polls early this year, he said that it was just the anti-incumbency factor against Mulayam regime coupled with the support of some castes. ''Same would be repeated at the Centre in the favour of Bharatiya Janata Party,'' he said.

Admitting that the BJP in UP had seen one of the worst reverses in recent times, Mr Advani was hopeful of the party staging a comeback and regain its lost glory. ''There is nothing to be disheartened of as the opportunity is up for grab in UP which would pave the way for a BJP-led government at the Centre,'' he said.

Substantiating his claim about the BJP being able to form the next government at the Centre, Mr Advani said two of the major political issues - nuclear deal and Ramsetu - had effected the total polarisation of public opinion between Congress and BJP. ''That is why I say the BJP stands a good chance in the next Lok Sabha polls,'' he said.

Reiterating BJP's stand on Indo-US nuclear agreement, the senior party leader said the way UPA had handled the whole issue was unbecoming of the party in power. ''The stand-off with the Left parties, UPA's alliance partners, and the dilly-dalying by the Congress has sent the nation into a precarious position,'' he said.

He said the BJP's only objection to the nuclear deal had been that India would not be able to test nuclear power after this. ''If this is not the case, why is the deal being struck through back door?'' he asked.

Mr Advani said the BJP would always support what was good for the country but the confidence of Parliament and transparency in the entire process was required to gain acceptance. The way Congress was avoiding the matter to be discussed in Parliament raised the questions on the intentions of the ruling dispensation at the Centre, he said.

Dubbing Manmohan Singh as the weakest ever Prime Minister in the country, the senior BJP leader said it was shameful that the 10, Janpath, residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi got precedence over 7, Race Course, the official residence of the Prime Minister.

The situation was sending a strong message among the official machinery resulting in 'instability' and 'political chaos' at the centre, he opined. ''PM has no voice of his own and I pity him for the situation he is in,'' he said.

Moreover, he pointed out, the UPA had failed on all the fronts be it uncontrollable price rise, woes of the farmers, problems of the labour class and rampant appeasement policies at the cost of the interests of the majority population of the country.

Mr Advani said the Congress was fomenting the communal sentiments by not only indulging in the blatant minority appeasement but also by 'uncalled for' steps like census in the defence forces on religion basis.

He said BJP was the only party in the country which catered to all sections of the society with no bias towards any religion or caste. ''The ideology and policies of BJP are best suited to the social structure of India and the party would strive to further these,'' he said.

UNI