BJP says it is ready for snap polls

"We will fight Congress on corruption and price rise"

File photo of BJP leaders L K Advani and Ananth Kumar

Even as it intensifies efforts to put its house in order and put behind internal differences, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday declared that it is on election mode and ready for snap polls.

After a meeting of the BJP’s Parliamentary Board here, party general secretary Ananth Kumar said the party would fight the Congress-led UPA government on corruption and price rise. “Due to its internal crisis, the Congress may try to hold early elections. In that event, the BJP is ready for snap polls.”

With good governance and development as its poll plank, the party planned to reach out to people in a big way. Its leaders would travel to different parts of the country for more than 100 rallies, he said.

Panels to be set up

Keen on sending across the message to people that the BJP was moving into an aggressive electioneering mode, it was decided that party president Rajnath Singh and poll campaign committee head Narendra Modi would, over the next few days, set up panels and give responsibilities for electioneering. Party general secretaries and other office-bearers were already giving inputs.

“The charge against the BJP was that it had not been able to put its house in order. Its galaxy of leaders was regarded as a liability rather than an asset. Fortunately, the party has now started putting its house in order. The possibility of the party contesting under one leader is now real,” said Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Mr. Kumar said the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting discussed the current political situation as well as chalked out the strategy for the next general election. There was a possibility of the Congress holding early elections due to pressure from its allies. The BJP’s strategy would be two-pronged — a political campaign of rallies and meetings across the country and an organisational strategy to put the party’s structure in place and take its campaign forward.

The 12-member board is meeting for the second time within a week. It was attended by top leaders, including veteran leader L.K. Advani, the party president Mr. Singh and Mr. Modi.