Tuesday, April 25 2006 15:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Madurai: BJP senior leader Venkiah Naidu today (Apr 25, 2006) stressed the need for a national debate on political parties announcing sops in their manifestoes and not bothering to implement them later.

The debate should focus on non-implementation of the promises.

"If they do not implement them, action should be taken against them. The party should be debarred from contesting in the next election," he told reporters here.

He said that the election commission should convene an all-party meet to disccuss this issue.

Venkaiah Naidu pointed that even in his home state of Andhra Pradesh and in Punjab, the governments had assured free power, but not implemented them later. Political parties should be made accountable to their manifestos, he said, adding that democracy would be weakened if the promises were not implemented.

"Both the DMK and the AIADMK are not confident about winning and that is why they are announcing a series of freebies for the people," he said.

DMK leader M Karunanidhi, it seemed, was already backtracking on his annoucements in this regard,going by his reported press statement that they were only intended to give 'temporary relief.

"Will they be given for one year or five years"? he asked.

Venkiah Naidu pointed out that 82 per cent of households in the state did not have proper toilet facility. The cost of education in the state was soaring and there was also no good health care system.

"Instead of concentrating on these aspects why should they give free TV. Probably they will show all other things including food, water, health care etc on the TV", he quipped.

Both the AIADMK and the DMK front have brought down the level of campaigning and have tried to mislead the people.They were trying to cover up their own failures in the las three decades by offering freebies. He wondered whether Karunanidhi who was offering two rupee/kg rice would put pressure on the UPA to implement the same throughout the country.

He stated that BJP was contesting in the state in alliance with many parties with the twin objectives of increasing its vote bank and providing a 'nationalistic platform' for the people of Tamil Nadu.

There was no practical and constructive opposition in the state. "If Karunanidhi wins, Jayalalithaa does not come to the assembly and vice versa. This is politics of negativism and confrontation. BJP will replace this with a constructive debate on various issues", he said.

He claimed Vaiko's 'u-turn in politics' and joining the AIADMK front did not go well with the people.

"A fiery orator should have conviction also", he added.