Nagpur: A pro-incumbency factor is prevailing in the country which is beneficial for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government at the Centre as it is all set to increase its tally during this Lok Sabha elections, BJP leader and Union Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said today (Apr 18, 2004).

BJP won the recent Assembly elections on anti-incumbency factor in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh but the party will win Lok Sabha polls on pro-incumbency factor of NDA Government, Swaraj said.

Elections 2004-The Drama unfolds...
Political Parties in India

There is certainly a positive factor in favour of BJP, she said adding, however, there is no wave like the ones swept across the nation after the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in previous elections.

Performance of NDA is the only highpoint which people will decide, Swaraj, who is in Vidarbha for electioneering, said.

After travelling in all the directions and most of the States, the Minister said she felt that "by and large people are with the ruling coalition".

The traditional bastion of Congress in Marathwada and Vidarbha will fall this time, Swaraj said adding, "many stalwarts of Congress-(Nationalist Congress Party) NCP-Republican alliance will bite the dust".

Distancing from the stampede in Lucknow, where over 20 women were killed during distribution of free sarees, Swaraj said, "It had nothing to do with the BJP. It was not a party function and there was nothing unusual in distribution of sarees by the political leaders which was more or less a practice."