BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday as things stood now his party was “comfortably winning 125-135 seats” in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly elections are to be held by May next year.
The UP assembly has 403 seats, of which the BJP won 51 in 2007.
On the concluding day of the BJP state working committee meeting in Kushinagar, 60 km west of Gorakhpur in east UP, he said a survey commissioned by him had shown while the party was in a position to win 125-135 seats, through a “determined effort” the saffron party could form the government on its own.
Gadkari also said in the winter session Parliament, the BJP would introduce a no-confidence motion against the central government to “expose the SP and BSP”, which, he said, tended to side with the ruling formation in the previous motion of 2008.
He also warned state party leaders not to “promise tickets to anyone” because candidates would be selected purely on merit.
Speaking on the concluding day of the meeting, Gadkari said: “I am not in the race for the post of Prime Minister. I draw inspiration from those who have sacrificed their lives for the party. In politics, someone has to become chief minister and Prime Minister. But that alone should not be the final aim.”
{{/usCountry}}Speaking on the concluding day of the meeting, Gadkari said: “I am not in the race for the post of Prime Minister. I draw inspiration from those who have sacrificed their lives for the party. In politics, someone has to become chief minister and Prime Minister. But that alone should not be the final aim.”
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, former BJP chief Rajnath Singh asked party functionaries bent on rebelling if they didn’t get the election ticket to “quit” the party now rather than creating problems later.
Senior leader Uma Bharti too gave similar advice to the party leaders.