'People fed up with Cong, looking to BJP'

With the UPA-2 government at the Centre mired in scandals, BJP is setting sights on the power and is trying to prove NDA is the alternative to the Congress-led coalition. The party has of late picked on a new team and appointed P Muralidhar Rao from Andhra Pradesh as its national general secretary to revive its fortunes. Rao in an interview to G Hemanth Reddy speaks his mind on a range of national issues. Excerpts: Can BJP pull through next general elections? Is the situation conducive to stage a comeback? Congress Party has ruined the nation on all fronts. A number of scandals have emerged under its regime. Not a day passes without authentic corruption charges against its ministers and party leaders. People are fed up with that party; India's image has taken a severe beating internationally. Corruption thrives under the Congress governance. On the other hand, BJP had a clean image and its members were admired for probity. I am confident BJP-led NDA will comfortably come back to power after the next general elections.

What are BJP's strengths and weaknesses? In BJP-ruled states, agriculture growth is remarkable and superlative. In States like Madhya Pradesh, it is 11 percent. It is 12 per cent in Gujarat, and 8 per cent in Chhattisgarh. In the Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh, it is less than 2 per cent. People are witness to the good governance of BJP-ruled States, supported by great team of tall leaders like Advani, Sushma Swaraj and others. BJP is clean and will fight for the people's causes and for the development of the nation. We don't have any major weaknesses.

You made Kakinada resolution for creating T state, but went back after coming to power. Won't it repeat if BJP comes to power again? BJP at that time did not make any resolution at national level. Now, we are 100 percent sure that we will create T state. BJP is consistent in its support to T cause either in Parliament or outside; all our MPs stand for creation of T state. Now, people of T should take the lead and support BJP.

As TRS also strives for the same cause, will it not divide pro-Telangana votes and hurt BJP's prospects? Telangana people should make a resolve at this crucial juncture. People are masters and are capable of making decisive decisions to support which party and why. T people are more matured than most of other people and the votes would not split.

Why hasn't BJP made any inroads into Seemandhra? With the prevailing situation in the country and the state, the people of Seemandhra, too, are fed up. We are seriously building the organization further and before next polls and we would be a force to reckon with. A good number of people are joining BJP in Seemandhra. BJP went to polls in Karnataka with a dented image in Karnataka. What will be the outcome and who will you tie up with? Yes, in Karnataka we faced a lot of problems. Some vested interests did not digest the fact of BJP coming to power in that State. They created problems for us. Though we suffered, it is temporary and we would gain much in a long run. It is too premature to talk on the tie-ups as the elections are just over. Will you tie up with YSR Congress in AP? See, we have our own programmes and policies. People agreeing with them would become our natural allies. But, it is too premature to talk on that subject as it is hypothetical. BJP aims to defeat the Congress for its misrule both in the State and at the Centre. A