Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, M. Venkaiah Naidu, on Sunday said the BJP does not consider the Aam Aadmi Party as a challenge in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. People know that their vote to the AAP will be wasted and hence will vote for BJP, he said, addressing journalists in Pune.
“The AAP cannot be an alternative. The urban, literate masses who are believed to be the supporters of the party know that their vote will be wasted. They know that dividing their votes is not going to help this country,” Mr. Naidu said. “People who cannot digest the rise of the BJP are promoting the AAP,” he added. However, he acknowledged that in urban centres such as Pune, the impact on voters is important. “Every small and big local factor will be taken cognizance of (in election planning),” he stated.
Dismissing the possibility of a Third Front, he said, “The idea is like a mirage. It is not possible for regional parties to come together.”
