New Delhi, April 30 (Inditop) Seldom do the websites of political parties name opponents in their campaign material. But the Bharatiya Janata Party has put out an in-your-face ad with a direct attack on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“Prime minister of the proud country. Elected by its people or selected by Sonia Gandhi?” asks the ad. The slideshow goes on to say, “Vote for change. Hold the Congress accountable.”
It also alleges that the Congress inherited a robust economy but left it in tatters.
In the Delhi assembly polls last year, the BJP had taken a similar line on the Congress: “Mehengi padi Congress (Congress proved a burden).” But it didn’t quite work.
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Too hot, poll officials take a hit
With the sun beating down mercilessly, two Gujarat polling officials were rushed to the hospital Thursday after suffering heat strokes.
The presiding officers at two polling booths in Manavdar and Mangrol Port, both in Junagadh district, complained of dizziness and unease. They were treated at the government health centre as emergency cases.
The state government has deployed more than 100 ambulances in Gujarat to rush poll officials and voters suffering from heat stroke to hospital. All the 26 parliamentary seats in the state went to polls Thursday.
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ACs for Sonia, others sweat it out
It was the first political rally of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi since campaigning for the 2009 general elections began. And it was held on the hottest April day in the capital in over 50 years.
Although the crowd and mediapersons took their seats by 3 p.m. at the Ramlila Grounds, the leaders came only after 5 p.m. Sonia Gandhi came after 5.30 p.m. After making a short speech in Hindi she left.
For Sonia Gandhi’s comfort, the organisers had put up two air-conditioners at the dais, but the rest – read common people and journos – were left broiling in the sunshine.
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Will Advani go Malhotra way?
The bets are on – not only among punters but also among those who cover politics.
A seasoned journalist in Delhi has this theory about the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate: “For the BJP, L.K. Advani is to the country what V.K. Malhotra (of BJP) was to Delhi during the assembly elections.”
Malhotra as the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in the last Delhi assembly polls failed to charm voters and lost.
“Will Advani create magic?” asked the journalist.
