UPA has become `lame duck` government: BJP

Hyderabad: Terming the UPA government as `lame duck`, BJP on Saturday said that the Congress wanted to go for early polls to cut its losses.

"The Congress-led UPA government has become lame duck and it is on a ventilator with the outside support of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj party (BSP)," MP and senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here. "Becoming aware of growing disenchantment among the people and the economic situation which was not going to improve, the Congress wants to go for early polls along with the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Chhattisgarh (where elections are due by December) to cut its losses and retain some strength," he said. Naidu alleged that the Congress, which was "notorious for misusing" the constitutional institutions, was once again exposed with the CBI raids on the DMK leader MK Stalin`s house within hours of his party withdrawing support to the UPA. "Conducting a raid immediately after withdrawing support was nothing but blackmail and this was a message to other allies to understand that a similar fate was awaiting them. "The DMK has realised that its fortunes would be affected if it continues with the Congress, which was becoming unpopular day by day and the SP and BSP were waiting for an appropriate opportunity to fall out," he said. The former BJP chief said the UPA allies were leaving it one after another as the Congress has no capacity to run a coalition and it does not follow "coalition dharma". Stating that people must be ready for early elections, Naidu said, "All is not well within the UPA and it might collapse any time, which is good for the country as it will end the uncertainty." PTI