Assy polls will decide UPA's fate: Mukhtar

Bhopal, Oct 22 (UNI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today claimed that the assembly polls scheduled in six states would eventually decide the fate of the Centre's United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime.

Mr Naqvi was here to take part in an Election Management Committee meeting -- attended by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state BJP President Narendra Singh Tomar and other senior leaders -- to take stock of preparations for the November 25 hustings.

Briefing reporters, Mr Naqvi said, ''apart from local issues, these elections will also be a mandate against UPA misrule.'' The polls in BJP-ruled states were being held in ''adverse circumstances'' as the Centre adopted a stepmotherly attitude towards the states.

Delimitation's impact would be observed in these hustings and the party was gearing up to retain power in BJP-ruled states, Mr Naqvi said while adding that the BJP was focussing on booth management as well as sending the party's message to people besides highlighting the Centre's ''failure.'' Despite the Centre's ''non-cooperation,'' the BJP in Madhya Pradesh left no stone unturned to develop the state, Mr Naqvi claimed.

Launching a scathing attack on the Centre's policies, the BJP Rajya Sabha Member alleged that the UPA government was shielding militants.

''The UPA regime is a golden period for terrorists while it is the darkest one for the common man,'' Mr Naqvi alleged while adding that the regime witnessed flourishing of banned organisations such as the Students' Islamic Movement of India.

Regarding recent attacks on northern Indians and ''hooliganism'' by the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Mr Naqvi alleged that the MNS was attacking at the behest of the Centre and Maharashtra's Vilasrao Deshmukh government.

''This is the height of goondaism,'' Mr Naqvi remarked.

Reacting to Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh's statement that the BJP stood for 'Bharat Jalao Party', Mr Naqvi said, ''we do not take his words seriously as he is an unpredictable person.'' UNI BDG AC 1851