Cong 'losing ground' in country: BJP leader

Hyderabad, Jun 11 (UNI) BJP National Secretary and MP S Thirunavukarsar today claimed that the Congress-led UPA Government was ''losing ground'' in the country due to the ''anti-people'' policies, of the government since it came to power.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the BJP and its allies won the Assembly election in 12 states out of 16 held after the UPA Government assumed office at the Centre.

The 'verdict' had shown that the people were against the Congress and its policies, he added.

Alleging that the Centre had ''failed'' to contain the spiralling prices of essential commodities, Mr Thirunavukarsar said the agricultural production had been coming down since the past four years as compared to that during the previous NDA regime.

''Foodgrain exports have been increased and the remunerative prices were not hiked, resulting in food crisis in the country,'' the BJP leader alleged and added that the unemployment had also increased.

Meanwhile, state BJP President Bandaru Dattatreya claimed that the Congress would face defeat in the 2009 elections and the 'anti-incumbency' on the Rajasekhara Reddy Government could be the main factor.

Alleging that the Congress had won the six MLA seats and one MP seat in the just-concluded byelection by ''influencing'' the voters using money and liquor, Mr Dattatreya said the Chief Minister's claim that the Congress would win 230 MLA and 36 MP seats in the next election was an ''arrogant statement.'' Referring to the internal differences in the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on the Telangana issue, the BJP leader said the party should come out with a clear statement on Telangana. The Congress and the TDP supported separate Telangana for ''political benefits'' during the byelection and now the leaders were expressing different opinions on it, he alleged.

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