Fuel prices: Shah moves in for damage control

Amid concerns over the political impact of the fuel price hike, BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday met with leaders from poll-bound Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to discuss the strategy to nullify the impact of Congress campaign on the elections.

In the meeting with Shah, BJP in-charge for Madhya Pradesh and in-charge for Rajasthan Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Avinash Rai Khanna, along with the organisation secretary for the two states, Suhash Bhagat and Chandrashekhar, are learnt to have discussed the fuel price issue, besides other challenges before the party in the two states, as well as its strengths.

Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Rakesh Kumar Singh was also present for the meeting. Shah is learnt to have told them not to be deterred by this "temporary" phenomenon and focus on taking to people the works done by Modi government at the Centre and the achievements of the state government.

The two states, where Assembly elections are going to be held this year, together account for 44 seats (29 in MP and 25 in Rajasthan). While power has been alternating between the Congress and BJP in Rajasthan, BJP faces anti-incumbency in Madhya Pradesh, where Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been the chief minister for last three terms.

At a party briefing, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "we understand the problems of people of the country and we are working to solve them. The increase in price in products is temporary, the solution will come out soon." He also accused the Congress of triggering violence for political reasons.

Another BJP spokesperson, Sambit Patra, even said the Congress called the Bharat Bandh on Monday to avoid the hearing of National Herald case, in which the Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the pleas of its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi challenging the reopening of their tax assessments for 2011-12.

"Gandhi family today is known as a family that does tax evasion, a family of corrupt people and a family who conspires against law of the land," said Sambit Patra. He also hit out at former prime minister Manmohan Singh, saying he was "complicit" in the case. He also said the Congress has sold its conscience.