Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would have an “impressive presence” in the assemblies of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, which go to polls Wednesday, party leader Sushma Swaraj said Tuesday.

She hit out at Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for some of their remarks during the campaign, saying that the comments were made without application of mind.

Swaraj said the BJP did not have representation in assemblies of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry but the party was not putting up a token fight.

“I had said on the first day of campaigning itself that it would not be a token fight. This message has percolated down to the party cadre,” she said.

Asserting the BJP would have an “impressive presence” in these assemblies, she said the BJP has sought votes with the promise that it will become an effective opposition in the assemblies.

“We said we cannot form a government here but want to be an effective opposition. Since we have effectively raised issues like Sabarimala stampede and killing of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, people have hopes of an effective opposition from the BJP,” she said.

Criticising the Congress campaign, she said: “The Congress president twice, some say thrice, during her campaign asked for support to the LDF (Left Democratic Front). She could have corrected herself or retracted later when it was pointed out.”

She also lambasted Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s statement about Kerala Chief Minister V.Achuthanandan being too old.

“Rahul Gandhi forgot that Congress has an alliance with DMK, whose leader M. Karunanidhi is of nearly the same age as Achuthanandan. There was complete lack of application of mind here too,” she said.

She said union minister V. Narayansamy had made “most condemnable” statements against women in Puducherry.