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| Friday, 9 January 2004 |
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Ruling BJP set to call early national polls NEW DELHI, Thursday (AFP) India's ruling Hindu nationalists will meet Sunday and likely recommend national polls six months ahead of schedule to take advantage of a strong economy and warming ties with rival Pakistan, party leaders said. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will huddle with leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for two days in the southern city of Hyderabad, with the mood upbeat after the party swept regional elections on December 1. "That elections should be held soon has almost been decided. The party rank and file want them soon to cash in on the feel-good factor in the country," senior BJP leader J.P. Mathur said. Mathur said the most likely date for the world's biggest election will be in April or May. "These two months are preferable as later it will be intensely hot and then rains will set in," he said. The election can be held any time before October. But analysts point out that the economic growth - which soared to 8.4 percent in the quarter ending September - came on the back of a healthy monsoon, which may or may not be repeated in 2004. Another BJP leader said Vajpayee had overcome reservations about early elections, which are favoured by Lal Krishna Advani, the deputy prime minister and a party heavyweight. In the past, Vajpayee has been reported to want to become the first Indian prime minister from outside the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty's Congress party to serve a full five-year term. Vajpayee, 79, has also had an eye on the history books in relations with Pakistan. After a near war between the nuclear powers in 2002, Vajpayee in April announced he was on a final peace-making mission. On Tuesday, India and Pakistan announced they were restarting stalled dialogue from February. Top BJP strategist Pramod Mahajan said that the warming ties between Pakistan and India "will help the BJP in the forthcoming general elections." Procedurally, Vajpayee's cabinet needs to pass a resolution to dissolve parliament and the autonomous Election Commission would decide the date. The parliament would hold a special session to pass a budget. "If the polls are delayed, the government will have to present a proper budget which if soft slows the economy, but if tough makes the government unpopular," said B.G. Verghese, an analyst at the Centre of Policy Research. "If the rain fails this year and there is a drought, the feel-good factor can evaporate. So in all, they seem confident this is the right time for polls," Verghese said. Another analyst, Mahesh Rangarajan, said the BJP would also benefit from the "disarray" in the main opposition Congress party. |
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