Bharat Uday Yatra has set "high standards": Advani Wednesday, April 14 2004 14:42 Hrs (IST)
Talcher (Orissa):
Claiming that Vajpayee Government will be returned to power in the Lok Sabha elections, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today (Apr 14, 2004) said his 8,500 km 'Bharat Uday Yatra' had set "high standards" on which Governments will in future be assessed and the urge for development and good governance would come from the people themselves.
Talking to reporters on the last day of his 33-day long yatra, Advani said, "The popular response to the yatra has been staggering."
"Judging from the warmth and enthusiasm with which the yatra was greeted and its message received, I am convinced that the General Election results will spring a few surprises and give Atal Bihari Vajpayee a decisive mandate for a third term in Government," he said.
"I believe that the yatra has set high standards on which Governments' future will be assessed, in turn putting pressure from below on them to perform," Advani said.
Demands for development and good governance will come from the people themselves, he said ahead of terminating his yatra at Puri this evening, which criss-crossed the length and breadth of India and touched 128 Lok Sabha constituencies.
There can be no comparison with Mahatma Gandhi, who was a 'tapaswi' (sage) while I am a political worker, Advani said adding at a personal level the yatra has been a learning process.