"Today we are playing Twenty-20 cricket. Before the match starts, the teams are asked who the captain is, we have announced our captain, but the opposition is yet to name its captain. What is the use of naming the captain after the match?" Leader of Opposition L K Advani said on Friday.
Addressing an election campaign at Anekal, he said that a mandate in favour of the BJP in the coming Karnataka Assembly would force the UPA-led Congress government in Centre to postpone its plans to hold early polls for the Lok Sabha.
Advani predicted that the Congress which cannot sustain the rise in inflation any longer is planning to advance the Lok Sabha elections to October along with the Assembly elections of some states.
However, if the mandate in Karnataka is in favour of the BJP then it would hold the elections in May 2009.
"The more they postpone the elections, the more they will anger the voters and are certain to lose. Hence they are planning to advance the elections,” he said.
Mr Advani blamed Congress for its inefficiency in handling the price rise, growth of terrorism and naxalism in the country and also the Janata Dal (Secular) for betraying the BJP and the people of Karnataka for not transferring power to the party after its term ended.
He also took a dig at the Congress for not coming out with it chief ministerial candidate unlike the BJP which has already chosen BS Yediyurappa as its leader.
‘Give majority’
Later, addressing a meeting in Mysore Mr Advani appealed to the voters to give majority to his party to ensure good administration in the State.
He said NDA could provide good administration because it had majority.
Pick-pocket caught
It was hard luck for this pick-pocket who chose to show off the tricks of his trade at this high security election campaign rally.
Even Advani was busy appealing to voters to cast their votes in favour of the BJP at the rally, a pick pocket was at his work as he pulled of a bundle of Rs 1000 notes from a BJP party worker.
But, the pick pocket could not keep his stolen possession for long as the party worker immediately followed him and recovered the bundle of notes.
MEDIA PROTESTS
Chamarajanagar, DHNS: Police arrested media persons, who went on a flash-protest at the public meeting of the former deputy prime minister L K Advani opposing entry to D-zone to cover the event, here on Friday. The incident happened after Advani inaugurated the programme.
Advani has been provided special protection following threats by anti-social elements. Only police and important leaders of the party were allowed in the D-zone, space identified 20 ft from the podium. And even media persons were denied permission. Media persons appeal to shoot the event from the D-zone was turned by the district superintendent of police.
When there was altercation between the police and press, BJP leader Ananth Kumar and local leaders tried to convince the police, but in vain. Upset over this, the protesters walked out of the programme shouting slogans against the SP and protested in front of the station. Over 20 members from the media were arrested and released later.
