Election battlefield heats up ahead of assembly polls in Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 23 : Congress-party led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government banked on the 'nuclear deal issue' to woo voters in New Delhi on Sunday ahead of the upcoming assembly elections even as other political parties raise other issues to heat up the election battlefield.

Addressing an election rally, the Chairperson of the ruling UPA, Sonia Gandhi said that India-US civil nuclear deal would boost the power generation in the country.

"During the last ten years, we have twice won the trust of people of Delhi. We consider national interest above everything and we take decisions keeping in consideration the long-term perspectives. The result of nuclear deal, which we have signed, will be seen in the energy and other sectors. It is impossible to move forward without self-dependence and knowledge in the field of science and technology," said Gandhi.

The two countries, India and US, once on opposing sides of the Cold War divide, have come close during the last few years and signed a landmark bilateral civilian nuclear deal personally supported by outgoing Republican President George W. Bush.

Congress party, hit by inflation and perceived as having weak government leadership, has been losing ground to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in elections in various states over the last year.

On the other hand, Mayawati, chief of Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) appealed to the people to vote in her support.

"If you want to get rid of all the problems in Delhi then don't vote for Congress and BJP and their allies. But in place of them bring BSP government in your state," said Mayawati.

Meanwhile, BJP is blaming the Central government of discrimination on religious lines, questioned why the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) law has not been invoked on the suspects of the Delhi's serial blasts.

The BJP has been attacking the government over invoking of MCOCA on the suspects of September 29 Malegaon blasts, in which ten people including sadhvi Pragya Singh and an army officer have been arrested.

"Today Delhi police can impose MCOCA. There has been use of MCOCA over small criminal cases but question arises why it has not been invoked on the suspects of Delhi's serial blasts?" said BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley.

All 70-Assembly seats of Delhi will go to polls on November 29 and counting of votes will take place on December 08.

These Assembly elections in Delhi and five other states are expected to be a run down to the forthcoming General Elections in early 2009 that would test the political temperature in the country.

ANI