BJP evasive on Atal silence

BATTLEFIELD GUJARAT

The BJP today took evasive action on the question of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's alleged silence on the polls in Gujarat, despite the fact that he had sent an appeal for votes in favour of the BJP to the people of Himachal Pradesh.

Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad today said that Vajpayee had made a similar appeal in the case of Gujarat, but that it had been released a day later than Himachal.

Despite the clarification, the fact remains that Vajpayee's appeal, carried in all major newspapers today, comes only a day ahead of the close of the campaign for the second and final phase of polling in the state, and no appeal was issued before the first phase.

Prasad said that the delay was not due to any ulterior motives. "There has been only a day's delay between the appeal for Himachal and the one for Gujarat. In the appeal, Vajpayee, who did not campaign in the Gujarat elections because of health reasons, tells the people that they again have an opportunity to ensure a good future for the state for five years.

"I am confident that you as in the past will choose a government which is committed towards growth and development of the state," he says in the appeal, asking people to return Modi to power.

The Congress had yesterday taunted the BJP saying even Vajpayee did not believe that Modi would come back to power. "I infer that Vajpayee not writing a letter to Modi means he does not support him and does not believe he will win," party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan had remarked yesterday.