Polls round the corner: PM

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared that the polls were round the corner but kept the suspense intact about the schedule of the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a public meeting here, Vajpayee deliberately let the message slip through that the polls would be held shortly.

"But the language of the campaign must be decent," he said while referring to Sonia Gandhi's criticism of the government's economic policies.

In his 40 minutes address which was translated into Telugu by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief M Venkaiah Naidu, Vajpayee focused only on the "greatness of India" and projected himself as the man of peace.

Following the tune of the national executive, which discussed economics all day, Vajpayee was emphatic in his assertion that India was heading towards the road to prosperity.

"We will be an economic superpower by the end of 2020" he said. India was exporting foodgrain to countries from which it had imported grain till now. People from abroad were coming to India for medical treatment since they have great faith in Indian doctors, nurses and hospital management," he said.

Vajpayee said his government was creating 10 million jobs every year. He said Sonia Gandhi had challenged this contention so he immediately furnished figures to prove his claim but "in spite of that after having kept quiet in Parliament, she has been making allegations outside," he said.

In a speech full of political messages, Vajpayee ridiculed the Congress for trying to forge a coalition to defeat the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"They are trying to forge coalition with a party which was accused of being involved in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination," he said while referring to the Congress-DMK alliance. "This is unprincipled alliance which cannot be sustained," Vajpayee said.

Vajpayee was all praise for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for initiating measures to bring the state on the development map.

"Hyderbad has changed and the rest of the country has to change," he said referring to the various development initiatives like the golden quadrilateral, development of rural infrastructure taken during his regime.

The Prime Minister was particularly appreciative of Finance Minister Jaswant Singh for allocating Rs 50,000 crore for building the rural infrastructure.

Similarly, he also appreciated the finance minister for doling out sops for different sections of the society.

But what appeared significant is the Prime Minister's constant harping on peace and consensus. In line with the appeal by the BJP national executive to the minorities to vote for the BJP, Vajpayee said, " it pains me whether riots take place in Ahmedabad or Hyderbad".

In the context of naxalite activity in Andhra Pradesh, he appealed all those strayed to the path of violence to bring about change must give up arms and join the mainstream.

"Let there be change through votes," he said in what appeared to be essentially a hard-core political speech.

The Prime Minister ridiculed Gandhi for her remarks some time ago that the BJP and the NDA leaders were day-dreaming about seven per cent economic growth rate and that their dream would never come true.

"We don't just dream. We also know how to turn them into reality," he said.

Vajpayee emphasised that the success of his government was due to the fact that it never brought in politics while giving assistance to the states.

The PM also dwelt a great deal on the peace deal with Pakistan. In a speech that was laden with nuances, Vajpayee indicated that though India had entered into a dialogue with Pakistan, cross border terrorism had not ended, though he hoped, it would cease once relations began normalising.

This was the first indication that at the SAARC meeting India had used its political judgement to start a dialogue rather than evidence of terrorism on the ground.

"The accord in Islamabad (to resume a composite dialogue) has opened a new chapter for peace and promotion of trade between the two countries and I am confident that it would be implemented," Vajpayee said.

"I am happy, though late, the Pakistan leadership has clutched my hand of friendship which I had extended in Srinagar after completion of the successful assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir where people rejected the gun," he said

"Whatever changes are needed should be brought about peacefully and not with the use of force."

Vajpayee added that India wanted to walk together with Pakistan and hoped that the cease-fire reached between the two sides along the Line of Control and in Siachen would be observed and there will be an end to cross-border terrorism.