BJP will form govt in Assam: Sushma Swaraj

[1]

The BJP on Tuesday said it is fighting the Assam Assembly elections to form the government on its own as people are ‘displeased and disappointed’ with the Congress-led Central and state governments.

"When you are in the election mode you are focused only on winning. So we are fighting to form the government. Our aim is to form the government on our own," senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters here.

On being pointed out that her claim was a tall one in a state where the BJP has only 10 MLAs in a House of 126, she said, "In Bihar our strike rate was 99 per cent. In Punjab we got 19 out of 23 seats. When people give they give generously."

Asked with which party the BJP would align with to form government in Assam, Swaraj said, "Not thinking about that now. It will be relevant after the election results are out. Formation of alignments for governments are done by our central parliamentary board and not locally here."

On whether the absence of a pre-poll alliance with other opposition parties would benefit the Congress by splitting the votes as during the last elections, she said "every time the votes need not be divided."

"People are displeased and disappointed with the Central and state government. This will not cause division of votes but unity of votes. People will decide whom they will vote into power and whom out of power," insisted the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Confident of her party's victory here, she said, "The atmosphere here is very favourable for the BJP due to three factors, there is a strong anti-incumbency feeling against the present state government, utter disappointment with the Congress-led government at the Centre and positive feelings for the BJP."

"The people relate to the issues raised by the BJP...the issues of good governance, commitment and migrants. People feel those are their issues," she claimed.

On the BJP prospects in the four other states going to the polls, she said, "We are focused in all the five states but have maximum hope in Assam. In West Bengal the prospects are good but not as in Assam. In Kerala not only we will make a debut but have an impressive strength."

Asked about the role of the ULFA factor during the elections, Swaraj accused the Congress of "hobnobbing with the ULFA. It is a known fact. They (Congress) always do before the polls."