BJP raises poll pitch, promises 'Ram Rajya' in UP

In a bid to revive memories of the time it cashed in on Lord Ram's name, the BJP launched its 2012 poll campaign in Ayodhya with an appeal to the people to help it establish 'Ram rajya' or ideal governance in the state.

In a bid to revive memories of the time it cashed in on Lord Ram's name, the BJP launched its 2012 poll campaign in Ayodhya with an appeal to the people to help it establish 'Ram rajya' or ideal governance in the state.

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"The Allahabad high court, through its September 30, 2010 verdict, has paved the way for the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya and now you do your bit to establish 'Ram rajya'," said Nitin Gadkari, BJP national president.

It was a question from the audience, however, that summed up the concern of the man on the street . "Hope you are not going to tie up with the BSP after the polls again," a reference to the three previous BSP-BJP alliances. To which the BJP leadership reiterated their committment to "either form a government sans the Samajwadi Party and the BSP" or sit in the opposition.

"We would not commit the same mistake again. I assure you," said Rajnath Singh, whose Jan Swabhiman yatra, along with senior leader Kalraj Mishra, concluded in Ayodhya on Thursday.

The party also attacked PM Manmohan Singh on his 'messenger of peace' remark for Pakistan PM Yousuf Raza Gilani at the SAARC summit in Maldives.