People are happy with Vajpayee"s thrust on development

-Manmohan Samal, BJP president, Orissa

Active in politics since his student days, Shri Manmohan Samal, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and state BJP president expects a better performance by the BJP-BJD combine. In an exclusive interview to Organiser, Shri Samal said that people will judge the Congress rule of 40 years vis-a-vis four years of the BJP-BJD rule before choosing their next government.

What prospect do you visualise for the BJP-BJD alliance in the ensuing simultaneous polls from the state?

Our performance will be better than last time, both in the state Assembly and the Lok Sabha.

The Congress has alleged that you have failed to fulfill most of the promises made to the people during the last elections?

We have performed well and we will do still better if voted again to power. People know what was the condition of Orissa during the Congress rule. People will judge the Congress rule of 40 years via-a-vis four years of the BJP-BJD rule before choosing their next government. I am sure the people will vote for us.

In the history of Orissa, the sort of patronisation that the state has got in terms of Central aid is exemplary. Call it Centre'shelp for reconstruction and rehabilitation works after the natural calamity witnessed by Orissa or the Centre'sinterest in developmental works in Orissa-it is really phenomenal.

But coordination is lacking between your party and that of your ally BJD?

It is not that. Since the past last six years we have been working with proper coordina-tion and we will continue to do so in future too.