NDA plans to boycott Sonia swearing-in

MANDATE 2004

All leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), except outgoing Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will boycott the swearing in of Sonia Gandhi as the new Prime Minister of the country.

According to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President M Venkaiah Naidu, the decision was taken first at a meeting of the BJP this morning and later when Naidu and NDA Convenor George Fernandes went to meet Vajpayee.

"The day Sonia Gandhi takes over as the Prime Minister of this country will be a 'black day' for us," said Naidu.

Naidu also said the BJP would extend moral support to those protesting the Congress choosing Italian-born Sonia Gandhi as their candidate for prime minister.

On Sunday, former party ideologue Govindacharya had launched the Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan and earlier outgoing Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had offered to resign her Rajya Sabha seat over the same issue.

"The mandate of the people is not for Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister, it was a non-NDA mandate. When the NDA fought elections, they clearly projected Vajpayee as the Prime MInister, while the Congress alliance remained silent," he said. "It is unfair to foist a foreign-born Prime Minister on the country," he added.

Though the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had already started to agitate over Sonia's foreign origin issue, the BJP till today was not ready to openly associate itself with the movement.

According to sources within the party, the understanding was that it would appear unchivalrous to make a personal attack on a woman. Having received a positive feedback from the party cadre, the BJP has now decided to openly identify itself with the anti-Sonia protests.

Besides trying to rally the party around this emotive issue, the BJP is also looking at other ways to revitalise itself.

According to sources within the party, leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Kalyan Singh are going to be given bigger responsibilities as far as the party organisation is concerned.

"Some general secretaries and vice-presidents will be removed and LK Advani will be more concerned with the day-to-day activities of the organisation," said a senior office bearer of the party.

With the anti-Sonia agitation taking centrestage, the reorganisation of the party has again been put on the backburner.

"Let us first look at the position then the Opposition," Naidu said.