Subramanian Swamy predicts mid-term polls in Feb-March

Coimbatore, Oct 3:

(JP) chief

on Tuesday predicted mid-term general polls in February-March next year and said the Congress-led alliance would suffer a humiliating defeat. Swamy said this while speaking to reporters on the deliberations of his party's

State General Council meeting here.

The JP chief said that corruption and terrorism would be his party's major planks in the next Lok Sabha election. He also said that the emergence of a Third Front, mainly comprising allies of the UPA, was not a practical idea at this moment.

Swamy slammed the government when asked on the demand made by former UPA ally Trinamool Congress that a no-trust motion should be passed against the UPA government or the statement made by the DMK, another ally of the UPA, that it would back any resolution passed in the Parliament by the opposition against FDI in multi-brand retail. He said the present government was a 'hopeless' one.

The veteran politician said tthat FDI in retail would affect sthe small traders afor they would not be able to compete with the foreigners. He, however, said that he was not aware about the note prepared by the NDA on FDI, as claimed by Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, since the JP was not part of the NDA then. The JP joined the BJP-led alliance recently.

Swamy also asked the government to give explanation on the allegation that has been brought by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, saying the latter had used up a whopping Rs 1,880 crore for her foreign travel and treatment.

To a question on the DMK president, M Karunanidhi, who sought a CBI probe into the granite scam, Swamy said the former had suddenly woken up from a slumber and remembered the CBI.

On his party council's meeting here, Swamy said the council demanded in a resolution that immediate steps would be taken to start power production at Koodankulam.

To another question on DMK president, Karunanidhi seeking CBI probe into the granite issue, Swamy asked why Karunanidhi "suddenly woke up" and remembered CBI.

On the Sri Lankan Tamil problem, Swamy said instead of blindly opposing the Rajapaksa government, the political parties of Tamil Nadu should work towards setting up of a federal state in Sri Lanka on lines of the Indian Constitution. He said countries like China, US and Pakistan were strengthening relationship with the island-state and hence it was all the more important for Indian forces to treat the issue carefully.

His party council also condemned the role that certain political parties had played in the attacks carried out against visiting Lankan pilgrims for the Velankani Festival.

The JP also wanted the Centre to form a clear national river water sharing scheme and ensure that the water sources in Tamil Nadu did not become dry. The demand was made in the wake of the ongoing Karnataka-Tamil Nadu Cauvery water-sharing problem. The council said that the neighbouringf states of Tamil Nadu were blocking water for irrigation by constructing dams in their territories.

It cited the examples where Karnataka built dams across Cauvery and Thenpennai, Kerala over Siuruvani, Amaravathy and Bhavani and Andhra Pradesh over Palar. The JP also wanted the Centre to declare the Delta area as drought-hit.

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