Advani: NDA lost in 2004 because of over-confidence, wrong slogans

This is what The Hindu reported on 3.3.2009
Advani: NDA lost in 2004 because of over-confidence, wrong slogans

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani on Monday said the National Democratic Alliance lost the 2004 general elections because of “over confidence” and use of wrong slogans like “India Shining.” Addressing a conference of the BJP’s traders’ cell here, Mr. Advani said that after being in power for six years and giving good governance under the prime ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, NDA was confident of forming the next government.

“The impression even among the opponents and foreign analysts was that we will win....but we lost...one, due to over-confidence and, secondly, using some wrong slogans like India Shining,” he said. Mr. Advani, who was the then Deputy Prime Minister, said this slogan was used by BJP’s opponents who asked the voters if they really felt India was shining.

“Our opponents went to the people and asked them if their homes were shining...everybody has his own problems...there is so much poverty in the country, farmers have their problems... they said where is India shining?” he quipped. Taking a dig at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, Mr. Advani said they won the 2004 polls with the support of the common man.

“Five years down the line, we get reports that so many Indians have become billionaires. On the other hand, Indian Statistical Institute has said the number of people below the poverty line has gone up by 5.5 crore from 3.5 crore in the last five years,” he said.