BJP campaign to focus on inflation, interest rates

NEW DELHI: In an attempt to cash in on the growing outrage against rising prices and housing loan interest rates, the BJP has decided to extract maximum political mileage from the issue in the coming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

An informal meeting of senior BJP leaders, held here on Tuesday to take stock of the party’s campaigning in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, agreed that the rising home loan interest rates and the inflationary trend had emerged as the main areas of concern among the people.

While the increase in the housing loan interest rates had delivered a severe blow to the middle class aspirations of owning a house of their own, escalating prices had made life difficult for people across the board, especially the poor. Its impact was being felt more in the urban areas, as the results of assembly elections in Punjab had proved.

The feedback being received from various corners in the Capital, which faces civic elections in the next two days, also served as an important input.

While the Congress is being blamed for making life tough for the people by its inept handling of the economy, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP have been dubbed as co-conspirators. While the BSP still extends outside support to the Manmohan Singh government, the SP was till the other day backing the Congress,’’ argued a senior BJP leader.

Thus, in Uttar Pradesh, all the three players are being blamed for the back-breaking prices and the interest-rate mess-up. ``Panja, cycle aur haathi, ye teenon hain barabar ke saathi,’’ goes the catch-line of the one of the ads being put out by the saffron outfit in UP.

While panja (hand) is the election symbol of the Congress, bicycle is the election symbol of the SP. The BSP is known by its haathi (elephant) symbol.