Advani has conceded defeat for 2014 LS polls: Cong, SP

Congress leader Rajiv Shukla on Sunday said that the BJP leader Advani has given up the fight by casting doubts over his party’s ability. File photo

Congress and other parties on Sunday took a dig at BJP leader L.K. Advani saying he has conceded defeat even before the race has begun for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections while some BJP leaders differed with him.

Reacting to Mr. Advani’s latest blog posting, Congress said Mr. Advani has given up the fight by casting doubts over his party’s ability.

“I can say about this blog that Mr. Advani himself has conceded defeat by saying there is a possibility that there can’t be a BJP Prime Minister in 2014. It means he has conceded defeat,” Congress leader Rajiv Shukla told reporters in New Delhi. "After this blog, how will a BJP candidate win?" he asked.

Mr. Advani had similarly predicted defeat for Congress before 2004 and 2009 elections but it came to power both the times, he said.

Terming the BJP leader as a “reluctant general” going to war, Mr. Shukla said, “If anybody is reluctant then how can anyone win the war. What kind of a general is he who concedes defeat even before the battle?”

Another Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi said Mr. Advani’s statement reflected internal rift in his party and recalled the predictions made by him before 2004 and 2009 elections.

BJP National Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said there is a strong anti-Congress wave blowing in the country and BJP and NDA will get majority.

Samajwadi Party leader Mohan Singh also toed the line taken by Shukla and said, “Even before the elections, BJP has conceded defeat.”

Sharad Yadav, who heads the JD-U, an NDA ally, refused to indulge in speculation ahead of the 2014 polls.

But, JD-U leader from Bihar Neeraj Kumar said, “We need a secular leader as PM and one who is sympathetic towards the cause of the backward classes.”

Mr. Advani had in his blog on Sunday talked about the possibility of a non-Congress, non-BJP Prime Minister heading the government after the 2014 general elections with the help of these two principal parties.

He also cited examples of Charan Singh, Chandrashekhar, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral -- all supported by Congress -- as well as V P Singh who became Prime Minister with BJP support.

Satyavrat Chaturvedi said, “Whatever Advani is saying is on the basis of internal rift and feud that is going on in his party. In 2004 also he had predicted and that time his people were out on a feel good factor and India Shining campaign. What happened to that prophecy?”

He also took a dig at the BJP leader for the comments he made during his Bharat Yatra in 2009.

“In 2009 Advani himself was PM candidate and during his Bharat Yatra that time, too, he had made predictions. What happened to those predictions?” he asked.