HP verdict is vote against corruption, misgovernance: Advani

New Delhi, Dec 28: Terming the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election results as ''a vote against corruption and misgovernance,'' Leader of Opposition L K Advani today said the Congress and the UPA Government at the Centre should take the blame for the electoral reverses in 2007. Commenting on the election results, where the BJP won 41 out of 68 seats, the senior BJP leader said the Centre could not shift the blame for price rise, security and soft handling of terror and continued suicides of farmers. ''The wave of changes witnessed in 2007 will reach upto the Centre,'' Mr Advani told reporters.

He said,'' the second wave of happiness after Gujarat victory should be a matter of pride for the BJP. The UPA has already lost power to the NDA in Bihar, Punjab, Uttarakhand. The party is delighted that it has retained Gujarat on the power of development and honest governance and wrested power from the Congress in Himachal.'' ''If at all, the Congress has to derive consolation, it is in Goa,'' Mr Advani said.

Karnataka would be the oncoming challenge for the BJP and the party was already the single largest party in the dissolved Assembly, he said. ''With the help of hard work of the partymen in the state, the BJP will have its own majority in the 224-Member House,'' Mr Advani added.

Mr Advani said he had spoken to BJP's chief ministerial nominee P K Dhumal and former CM Shantha Kumar to express his happiness over the results.

Mr Dhumal will be elected as Legislature Party leader on December 30.

UNI