ALLAHABAD, Feb 18 (UNI) Union agriculture minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh today claimed that the onoing roadshow of Congress president Sonia Gandhi would not affect on the vote bank of his party.
"People of the country are alert and will take a decision only after assessing the performance and achievements of any party or government", Singh said in an informal talk with newsmen here last night.
He questioned why Gandhi did not initiate her public contact programme earlier.
"Why is she going among people only when the elections have drawn nearer," he added.
The former UP chief minister said his party still felt that the post of prime minister should not be given to a person of foreign origin, but added they would have "no problem if late Rajiv Gandhi's children Rahul and Priyanka come in the fray", he added.
Singh further said the Ayodhya dispute was not the 'main issue' for BJP and added that the party wanted a peaceful resolution of the matter.
"The prime minister himself is taking interest in solving the vexed issue peacefully," he pointed out.
He claimed that during the five-year regime of NDA government, the country has become economically more strong while several decisions including the normalisation of relations with Pakistan were taken.
The union minister also said that the country had made a record production of food grains this year for which the credit went to the hard labour of farmers and the 'pro-farmer' policies of the government.
The government has provided a package of Rs 15,000 crore for granting loans to farmers on cheap rates, Singh added.
