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The BJP has decided against responding to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal's attack on the party not merely because it believes silence is the best answer to a maverick.
It is also of the view that AAP's growth would further sub-divide the so called secular space, particularly in the crucial states of UP and Bihar.
It is also of the view that AAP's growth would further sub-divide the so called secular space, particularly in the crucial states of UP and Bihar.
The BJP is convinced of the "cozy relationship" the Congress and AAP enjoy. Sources in the BJP say they were also confident that Delhi won't be repeated in rest of the country.
The party's assessment is that the five to 10 percent of those BJP voters who may have got swayed during Delhi elections to vote for AAP will return to the BJP in the Lok Sabha election in Delhi.
The party's assessment is that the five to 10 percent of those BJP voters who may have got swayed during Delhi elections to vote for AAP will return to the BJP in the Lok Sabha election in Delhi.
"The middle class is disillusioned with AAP. It won't make the same mistake again of supporting AAP, whether in Delhi or elsewhere," said a BJP leader.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley today said AAP and Congress have a "cozy relationship" after the Delhi assembly elections. He said the Congress probably thinks that AAP by attacking BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi "is doing what the Congress is failing to do" but has on balance "ended up scoring a self goal".
Jaitley said the BJP was a comfortable front runner in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election. He said the BJP occupied the non-Congress space and more non-Congress groups were joining the BJP. "Whatever media and vote space the AAP gains, it eats into the non-BJP space," said he, adding there were multiple players vying for the non-BJP space. He said the Congress, AAP, Left, BSP and the SP were the principal contenders for the non-BJP space.
Jaitley, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said that AAP, by attempting to occupy non-BJP space, hurts the other non-BJP players more. "The Congress is encouraging the AAP but it is today stamping on the Congress's foot. The BJP constituency is intact and expanding. The Congress and AAP have a cozy relationship, but by dividing the non-BJP space, they will develop a self defeating relationship," said he.On Saturday, Jaitley had said Kejriwal was a maverick and his agenda bizarre. The BJP leader said silence was the best response to a maverick and that party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was well advised to deny an audience to Kejriwal.
Jaitley, a key strategist of his party, said AAP's campaign of the last few weeks has focused on stopping Narendra Modi. Jaitley said the AAP has stopped attacking the Congress, its dynasty, its government's failure on issues of national security, the several scams or that it has aligned with convicted leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav.
"AAP has softened the attack on the Congress and is going hard against the BJP. This is the Congress-AAP strategy," said he. Jaitley said the Congress was running an insipid campaign and despite it having a much bigger vote bank than AAP the entire media debate was on the political struggle between the BJP and AAP.
