Political parties trade charges ahead of elections

Patna/Vijayawada, Feb 5 (ANI): As the country gears up for general elections this year, leaders of major political parties have started accusing each other of shortcomings.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, who is also the Minister for Railways, lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a gathering in Patna.He accused the BJP of defaming the Hindu community by supporting Hindu fundamentalist terror activities.

"The BJP is for the ones like Sadhus and Sadhvis who have defamed Hindu people. Hemant Karkare, a brave Maharashtrian officer, who got martyred had caught and exposed them (the Hindu fundamentalists) and against him a shutdown was called in Maharashtra. This is the situation in the country with BJP," said Lalu.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani told a party rally in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, that the Congress headed Government has an ineffective Prime Minister in Dr. Manmohan Singh.

"I have seen every single Prime Minister from Pandit Nehru to Dr. Manmohan Singh. I haven't seen a worse Government in India in all these 60 years than the Government which is ruling in New Delhi today. The Government is supposed to be headed by Manmohan Singh, but is actually run by Sonia Gandhi and no one else," said Advani.

According to the Election Commission of India, elections may be held sometime between April 8 and May 15.

Security and the growing repercussions of the global financial crisis are likely to top the agenda of various manifestoes, although local issues and caste identities may again influence the voting pattern in India. (ANI)