BJP to launch Mission 2004 on PM's birthday

Encouraged by the victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattigarh, the Bhartiya Janata Party now plans to launch 'Mission 2004' with the aim of winning 300 seats in the general election.

Party general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in New Delhi that the BJP had already started an extensive survey of 350 seats to find out the "winnability factors".

"Vijay, Vikas, Sankalp Parv will be launched on the occasion of the birthday of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from his residence on December 25, 2003 where the Hon'ble prime minister will address party functionaries and workers," Naqvi said.

The party high command has already started preparing a blueprint for the 2004 polls, he said.

The blueprint will be discussed on January 11 and 12 at the BJP national executive meeting in Hyderabad, he added.

According to him the party would go alone in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and tie up with friendly parties in states like Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Haryana.

"We hope to get the results of the survey by the end of February 2004 and thereafter we will be ready for elections as and when they are held," he added.

Six agencies are involved in the survey.

He made it clear that though the state units would be asked to send a list of candidates, the high command would have a list of its own.

"This formula was successfully tested in the recent assembly polls and the practice will continue…" he said.

He denied that the party was thinking of going alone in Assam and Haryana.

"We are not going alone in these states. If we could be partners of the AGP [Asom Gana Parishad] in the last elections when we lost along with them, why should not we contest in alliance with them when we are going to win. In Haryana we will contest along with Om Prakash Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal," Naqvi said.

The BJP has decided to depute 50 national leaders to participate in party functions and rallies in various states from December 26, 2003 to January 10, 2004 to spread the BJP's message. Barring the names of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy Lal Kishenchand Advani almost all the prominent leaders of the BJP figure in the list of central leaders to be sent to various states.