Deserters find NaMo ‘development’ attractive

Regional parties keen to form alliance

• PDP of J&K says it might form post poll alliance
• Newly-formed Jana Sena Party express desire to join saffron party
• Former Congress Union Minister Satpal Maharaj gets inducted in BJP
• JD (U) MP NK Singh is all set to join BJP party

New Delhi: Leaders from different political parties like Congress, JD (U) and others are joining the BJP bandwagon claiming development as the key issue. While from J&K, BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi received a big boost when PDP sang paeans for saffron BJP, supporting its policies taken during the Atal Behari Vajpayee led-NDA government.

The Modi wave is drawing all the political leaders and anti-Congress parties towards the BJP. Andhra Pradesh, newly announced Jana Sena Party’s chief Pawan Kumar, younger brother of Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi, rushed to meet Modi, claiming that he would support any party fighting for Congress-Mukta Bharat, (India without Congress).

In another setback to Congress, former Union Minister Satpal Maharaj was inducted into the BJP by party president Rajnath Singh in Delhi. Satpal Maharaj is known for his religious sermons and was more suited in the Hindutva party. He represents the Paudhi Lok Sabha seat in Uttarakhand and has a large following in the hill State.

Feeling let down in the Congress over denial of tickets to his supporters and for ignoring his claim, by picking Harish Rawat for the Uttarakhand Chief Minister's post, Satpal Maharaj finally decided to switch-over his loyalty. After joining the BJP, he stated that he had taken the decision since he wanted India to become a super power and surpass China in the world. With the support of 10 legislators, Maharaj can pose problems to the fragile Harish Rawat government in Uttarakhand.

From Bihar, giving a big blow to Nitish Kumar Government, JD (U) MP NK Singh quit the party. The top bureaucrat in the Vajpayee government, having served as the Revenue Secretary and Special Secretary to the then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Singh is all set to join the BJP. Singh was humiliated, as he was denied the Rajya Sabha nomination and was asked to contest from Banka constituency.

If that was not all, the PDP drew closer to the BJP, giving indications that it would be willing to have a post-poll alliance with the Modi government. PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed praised the NDA government saying, Vajpayee extended hand of friendship to Pakistan even after Parliament attack. That was a golden period for Kashmir. In his campaign, he is asking the people to avail the historic opportunity of bringing about a change in the State.