The Congress party is not worried about BJP leader L.K. Advani’s proposed yatra against corruption after realising that this will not only create a rift between Team Anna and the saffron party but could also consolidate the Congress’ political constituency, especially the minorities.
The Congress has so far remained silent on Mr Advani’s announcement that he plans to undertake a yatra although some of its leaders feared that it could once again lead to communal polarisation.
Mr Advani’s yatra is aimed at highlighting corruption at the Centre but the Congress is planning to counter it by bringing the issue to the fore in the BJP-ruled states.In fact, it party has already started working on it in Karnataka, MP, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
The main Opposition could have benefited from the anti-corruption agitation had it remained behind the scenes.
“Yes, the BJP did get political mileage out of it when it had hacked V.P. Singh’s campaign against the Bofors deal from 1987 to 1989. And, before that, it had joined the JP movement for nav nirman,” insiders recalled.
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Azhar son critical after bike mishap
AGE CORRESPONDENT
HYDERABAD, SEPT. 11
Former Indian cricket captain and MP Mohammad Azharud-din’s son, Mohammad Ayazuddin, was grievously injured when he and his cousin, Ajmal-ur-Rahman, met with an accident on Sunday while riding a motorcycle. Rahman, on the pillion, died while Ayazu-ddin is battling for life.
The two were riding Ayazuddin’s new Suzu-ki GS XR 1000 bike on the Outer Ring Road on the city outskirts early morning when the mishap occurred.