Ask govt to hold Lok Sabha elections this year: BJP to President

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New Delhi: BJP on Friday urged President Pranab Mukherjee to 'advise' the government to hold early elections to end the uncertainty prevailing in the country because of its 'inability' to tackle the present economic crisis.
A delegation of BJP parliamentary party led by L.K. Advani met Mukherjee to voice its demand that Lok Sabha elections be held with assembly elections in five states scheduled for later this year.
"If the country is rid of the present government and people are given a fresh opportunity to elect a new government it would be in the best interest of the country," Advani said after the meeting. "We have conveyed to the President people's apprehensions about the economic crisis of the country. Instead of accepting truth, the government is indulging in blame game," he said.
"Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is blaming the previous finance minister for the worsening economic crisis," he said in an obvious reference to Mukherjee who was Chidambaram's predecessor.
"This government is indulging in making excuses and blame game. The incumbent finance minister is blaming the earlier minister who is not in a position to defend himself," he said.
The veteran BJP leader termed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement in Rajya Sabha on Friday 'particularly sad and hurtful', saying he had never witnessed a government like this.
Advani said BJP was aware that the government is unlikely to listen to the President if asked to hold early elections but it would be under public pressure if Mukherjee makes the move.
He said Lok Sabha elections, which are scheduled for early next year, could be held with assembly elections in five states later this year. Apart from Advani, the party delegation included Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu, Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha, Murli Manohar Joshi among others.