Two Fronts ensured Congress victory, says BJP

Having taken a beating at the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday blamed the 'Third and Fourth Fronts' for the United Progressive Alliance's return to power.

Describing the two fronts as 'architects of instability', BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley said people agitated over the 'obstruction' caused by UPA allies in decision making by the Manmohan Singh government, had voted for stability.

Jaitley, who crafted the BJP's successful poll strategy in the 2008 assembly elections in Karnataka that helped the party to install its first ever government in the South, said, "All those who became part of the Third Front not only suffered, but in some places we (BJP) also lost".

Taking a dig at some constituents of the Third Front for pledging their 'unilateral support' to the UPA, apparently referring to the Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal Secular and Rashtriya Janata Dal, he asked, Wwhat is their inherent strength? They have almost disappeared. Some are before the residence of opponents for a free ticket".

Speaking at a party function in Bangalore to felicitate its 19 newly elected Members of Parliament, Jaitley also scoffed at the JD-S led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, who was part of the Third Front, for extending support to the Congress.

Jaitley said the BJP would sit in the opposition and brace up to the challenges ahead. "We want India to strengthen. We want bold decisions to ease the economic crisis," Jaitley said.

He showered accolades on state Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who steered the party to a stupendous win in the Lok Sabha polls, remarking, "The best performance of the BJP in the entire country has come in Karnataka."

The BJP, which won 110 seats in last year's assembly elections, had established leads in 143 assembly segments in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, Jaitley said.

"The increase in its influence is a tribute to the Yeddyurappa government's performance," he said.