In Amma land, Advani eyes 21st century

The BJP is not craving for power but the party wants India to become a powerful country, said Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani during his b...

The BJP is not craving for power but the party wants India to become a powerful country, said Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani during his brief stop-over at Mettur on his way to Dharmapuri from Coimbatore.

While campaigning for his party, which has been allocated the Dharmapuri constituency under the AIADMK alliance, Advani said: ‘‘In fifty years, countries in the world have grown but India remained stagnant under the rule of the Congress. The BJP, which came to power in 1998, has taken the country on the path of growth.’’

The BJP’s vision is to make India a super power by 2020 and Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee is the only person capable of leading the country, he added. ‘‘It is with this objective that the BJP has allied with the AIADMK. Hence the people of Tamil Nadu have an important role in deciding the country’s future,’’ he pointed out.

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At Dharmapuri, Advani said victory of the NDA and Vajpayee becoming the Prime Minister again after the Lok Sabha polls is a foregone conclusion like the result of an Australia-Bangladesh cricket tie. ‘‘There is no competition in the match. Everyone knows the NDA will win and Vajpayee will become the Prime Minister,’’ he said.

Earlier, at Coimbatore, Advani stepped up the attack on the Congress by accusing it of promoting ‘‘dynastic’’ politics and rejecting DMK chief M. Karunanidhi’s allegation that it is a Jayalalithaa-Advani alliance in Tamil Nadu. ‘‘I have nothing against the children as they are youth and have a right to contest elections. But we are against the dynastic rule in the country,’’ he said before his yatra started for Bangalore on its third day.

Attacking the Congress chief, he said a person who cannot understand the nuances of Indian politics and the problems of the people is not fit to hold the highest post. ‘‘This issue has now spread so much that there is no need to elaborate on it. It is a poll issue and after all the person seeking the prime ministerial post should be able to understand the nuances of Indian politics,” he said.

To a question on the reported statement by Karunanidhi that it is ‘‘Advani-Jayalalithaa alliance’’ to sideline the Prime Minister, he said efforts have been on for the past six years to create a wedge between him and Vajpayee. “I am happy the Opposition, which did not agree with us on many issues, have support for Vajpayee,” he said, adding: ‘‘Nobody would succeed in creating a wedge between us.’’