BJP eyes polls with price rise protests

New Delhi: Eight days ahead of the Karnataka elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought to extract mileage from discontent over rising prices and organised a nationwide strike yesterday as inflation hit a 42-month high of 7.57 per cent.

But the response was muted except in some areas though the party claimed it was a success.

"The strike has been a success. The United Progressive Alliance [UPA] government should either get rid of price rise or step down," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.

The strategy of the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners was simple - to shut down shops and commercial establishments and form human chains to draw media attention.

"The central government is unable to control inflation and hence in the next general elections it will be defeated," BJP leader L.K. Advani declared at a rally in Anekal, about 40km from Karnataka capital Bangalore. Hoping to make the most of the opportunity in the state, Advani addressed three rallies.

In New Delhi, the response to the strike was half-hearted. Even though the party said shops were closed in prominent markets like Sarojini Nagar and Karol Bagh, that was not the case. Some shops may have been closed, but it was business as usual otherwise.