People still guessing BJD’s post-poll strategy
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Sunday kept people guessing about his post-poll strategy on a possible Third Front by saying it is still early to discuss the topic. “As you know, it is early days... let us see what happens in future,” Patnaik told reporters here after returning from a 12-day visit to Delhi. The BJD president also claimed he had not met any national leader during his stay in New Delhi. “No, not at all. I did not meet any national leader,” Patnaik said responding to queries about the role likely to be played by his regional party for Government formation at the Centre. BJD had skipped a meeting of left and secular parties held in New Delhi in February this year. But the party had sent its representative to the meeting.
‘Digvijay has crossed all limits of decency’
Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa on Sunday strongly disapproved of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh’s open admission of an affair with a TV journalist, saying he has “crossed all limits of decency”. “Admitting the relationship and expressing his love openly for an another woman amounts to crossing all limits of decency,” the 90-year-old BJP leader said at a press meet in the State BJP headquarters here. “I strongly reproach him for this act because having an affair with a married woman, who is not legally divorced, is a criminal offence,” Patwa said. Asked to comment on some BJP leaders who have congratulated Singh and described the issue as his personal matter, he said they are not aware of Hindu culture.
Cong will do badly in this election: Rajagopal
Hyderabad: Former MP of Vijayawada l Rajagopal, who had created a storm by using pepper spray in Parliament, attacked the Congress saying it would face the consequences of trying to “bulldoze and kill democracy” by hastily passing the Telangana Bill in lok Sabha. “You will see in the elections Congress will do badly. This happens when you try to bulldoze and kill democracy,” he told PTI. Rajagopal, an expelled member of Congress, resigned from Parliament and announced to quit politics in February this year, saying he was hurt as Telugu people have been divided following the passage of Telangana Bill in lok Sabha. When asked if he regretted the decision to quit politics, he said, “Not at all. It was a conscious decision.”
‘Modi solicits votes in name of Kargil martyrs’
Mumbai: BJP leader Narendra Modi is seeking to make political gains by soliciting support for his party in the name of Kargil heroes, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said here on Sunday. “Unka dil sirf kursi mang raha hai (Modi’s heart only seeks power),” Gandhi said at an election rally here in Himachal Pradesh. “For political gains, he is using the name of martyrs.” Gandhi, in her maiden visit to the State that will go to the lok Sabha polls May 7, said the path being shown by the BJP was that of discrimination and destruction.
“Ek raasta hai Congress ka raasta jispar chal kar aaj desh tarakki ke raaste par yahan tak pahucha hai aur ek doosra raasta hai — BJP ka raasta — woh bhed-bhaav karna seekhata hai (One path is Congress’ path on which the country has progressed well and the other path is BJP’s which advocates discrimination),” she said. “And you should follow the Congress path, the path of development and prosperity, and strengthen democracy.” Describing the BJP leader as a “pracharak” or propagandist, she said, “It seems he has started thinking himself to be the PM even before the results are out.” listing out the achievements of the Congress-led UPA Government in the past 10 years, Gandhi said her party didn’t make false promises.