Sunday, April 16 2006 13:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Gopalganj (Bihar): BJP President Rajnath Singh today (Apr 16, 2006) said the outcome of the assembly elections in five states, particularly West Bengal and Kerala, would intensify 'inner contradictions' within the UPA.

"UPA parties are already fighting among themselves. After the assembly polls, their fight will intensify," BJP President Rajnath Singh told reporters today, wrapping up the second leg of his 5,500-km 'Bharat Suraksha Yatra', which began from Bhubaneswar on April six.

Singh, who has so far covered almost 2,000 km, traveling through naxalite-infested areas of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, will resume the third leg of his yatra from the temple town of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on April 18.

Singh said response to the Yatra in the four states showed that people acknowledged the issues raised by the party, particularly the rise in prices of essential commodities and the growing naxalite and terrorist violence.

The BJP chief claimed that disenchantment of the people with the UPA was growing within just two years of the coalition coming into power and added that if it did not improve its performance, it may be rejected by the voters in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Singh, who left here for West Bengal for two-day electioneering, alleged that the Centre had lost all its credibility because of the presence of 'tainted' persons in the Government and a number of scams like Iraq oil payoff deal, Mitrokhin Archive controversy and Bofors payoff.

Singh accused the UPA Government of undermining the 'dignity' of constitutional bodies like the office of the Governor and the Election Commission.

Referring to the plight of farmers in the country, he said the large number of suicides was a matter of serious concern and demanded immediate implementation of the Agriculture Income Insurance Scheme for them.

The former Agriculture Minister said that when he was in the NDA Government, he had drafted the scheme to ensure that farmers were provided insurance on the basis of average annual output for the last six-seven years if their crops failed.

"The Centre should take states into confidence and ensure early implementation of the scheme," he said.

Asked about his opinion on the performance of the NDA Government in Bihar, of which BJP is a parnter, Singh said people were happy with the performance of the four-month old Nitish Kumar ministry as law and order situation had improved and efforts were underway to bring the state back on the rails.

To a question whether a coordination committee will be constituted for making both JD (U) and BJP work in tandem, Singh evaded a direct reply, saying, "There is no dearth of coordination between the two."

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who was present at the press conference, said the state was determined to stamp out naxal violence.

"We have evolved a two-pronged strategy to crush naxalism. While there will be stringent police action, we will also pay attention to development plans to bring the misguided people to the mainstream," he added.