New Delhi: Although it does not command a majority in the Lok Sabha, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) may remain in power because the Congress knows how to "manage" smaller parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Friday.
Speaking on the first anniversary of UPA II, BJP spokeswoman Nirmala Sitharaman hit out at the Congress for a variety of reasons but indicated that she did not see an early election to the Lok Sabha.
Will the UPA-II headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh complete its five-term term, she was asked.
Nirmala told reporters, "See, it is a game of numbers. Election expenditures are so heavy that people (political parties) don`t want elections. And the Congress has an inherent quality of managing smaller parties.
"They can also misuse the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) or whatever and still be in power."
The Congress-led UPA ruled India from 2004 to 2009, and returned to power with larger number of seats after winning the Lok Sabha election in May last year.
The spokeswoman was critical of the government`s functioning, pointing out at rising food prices as well as allegations of corruption around the allocation of 2G spectrum.
She said the BJP and the opposition needed to be given credit "for highlighting the plight of the common man in whose name the Congress party came back to power.
"Price rise and internal security are burning issues. The prime minister is silent on all issues."
The spokeswoman denounced the Congress-led government for what she said was its failure to overcome the Maoist challenge.
"We have not recovered from the first Dantewada before the second took (place)," referring to two deadly attacks Maoists carried out in a forested part of Chhattisgarh`s Dantewada district April 6 and May 17. Both attacks claimed 97 lives.
IANS
